Dhangadi, June 6

Kailali Nepali Congress cadres are disappointed with district-based leaders for not returning to the villages from Kathmandu even though the second round of civic polls is just around the corner.

The district leaders along with aspirant candidates had gone to Kathmandu to get tickets from the party for local level polls.

CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre, among other political parties, are already campaigning, but the NC is yet to finalise its candidates. This, the NC cadres believe, will affect the party’s campaign in the district.

Kailali NC President Nar Narayan Shah Manu, Dhangadi Municipal President Nripa Oda, along with other regional presidents are in Kathmandu.

UML Vice-chair Bhim Rawal and CPN-MC leader Lekhraj Bhatta are campaigning in the villages, but NC leaders such as Ramesh Lekhak, NP Saud, Dirga Raj Bhatta and Pushkar Nath Ojha, are yet to reach the villages.

NC Kailali Secretary Purna Kunwar said the party’s campaign has been affected with leaders becoming Kathmandu-centric. “Our campaign will be strengthened if the leadership and central level leaders come to the villages and campaign, though NC cadres are campaigning despite the absence of leaders” Kunwar added.

The NC is yet to finalise its candidates in almost all local levels in province 7. Disgruntled NC cadres have started campaigning for rebel candidates in some places. The cadres were displeased over the selection of the ward chair candidate in Dhangadi Sub-metropolis.

The NC regional committee had recommended Dinesh Joshi as mayoral candidate in Gauriganga Municipality, Bhakta Bahadur Thapa in Lamki-Chuha, Janga Bahadur Saud in Tikapur, Bir Bahadur Hamal in Bhajani and Rita Chaudhary in Ghodaghodi municipalities. The NC said candidates for mayor and deputy mayor in Godawari Municipality were yet to be finalised. Nripa Bada’s name as mayoral candidate in Dhangadi Sub-metropolis has almost been finalised.

UML, on the other hand, has finalised Durga Prasad Joshi and Rukmani Devkota for mayoral and deputy mayoral candidates in the sub-metropolis.

Likewise, CPN-MC has also finalised its candidates Ram Samajha Rana and Shanti Adhikari Chhetri for mayoral and deputy mayoral posts in the sub-metropolis.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party had also finalised the names of Bishnu Bahadur Shahu and Janak Kumar Kunwar for mayor and deputy mayor in the sub-metropolis.

Entrepreneur Gopal Hamal has launched his own election campaign as independent candidate in the sub-metropolis.