Phidim, February 3

With the date for the district convention fast approaching, leaders and candidates of Nepali Congress have ramped up publicity and other campaigns to bring the election results in their favour in Panchthar of late.

Of the two constituencies in the district, the campaign has quite heated in Constituency No 2, where district president contender Surendra Kumar Dahal of Constituency No 2 and constituency-based presidential candidate Bam Prasad Lawati are said to have taken to publicity campaigns.

They have faced charges from party leaders that they organied feasts to woo voters in Mauwa and Kurumba VDCs. “As some leaders are carrying out their publicity in an unreasonable way by spending huge amounts of money as is done elections for the legislative body, it is sure to set a wrong precedent in the party,” said a leader who has been chosen as a party representative from Mauwa VDC.

Gripped by the election fever, the contenders are berating their rivals in strong terms, also taking to publicity on local FM radios and newspapers.

Other contenders, however, are not launching their campaign as aggressively. “As this is just an internal convention, rather than a matter of winning and losing, it’s the party organisation that matters,” said Narendra Kumar Kerung, incumbent party district president who has filed his candidacy for the next term in office.