Rajbiraj, September 6

Martyr Ram Kishun Raut’s sibling Dharma Pal Raut, today filed his candidacy as ward member of Hanumannagar-Kankalani Municipality as an independent candidate after the Madhes-centric forces didn’t provide him ticket for the upcoming third round of local level elections in Saptari.

Ram Kishun was killed when security personnel opened firing during a clash with the demonstrators at Bhardaha during the Madhes agitation two years ago. Later, the government of Nepal declared him martyr.

Dharma Pal filed his candidacy and his in-law Sudmiya Raut had proposed his name. He said that the Madhes-centric forces hesitated to provide him ticket despite his several appeals. He claimed that his candidacy was in honour to his brother’s martyrdom and dream.

However, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal Saptari leader Sunil Kumar Jha argued that no martyrs’ family came in contact for tickets, while Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal Saptari Chairperson Dinesh Kumar Yadav said his party had picked a member as ward member from martyr Inar Yadav’s family.

Eleven persons were given martyrdom status as they were killed during different Madhes movements launched by Madhes-centric forces in the past two years in Saptari.