Dadeldhura, May 30

Local Nepali Congress leader Tilak Hamal from Ganyap Rural Municipality of Dadeldhura started a fast-unto-death at the Nepali Congress Dadeldhura district party office today morning saying the central party office had been preparing to give ticket to the near and dear ones of leaders in the second phase of civic polls.

Hamal started the hunger strike demanding that those persons who were liked by people be made party candidates in the civic polls.

At the home district of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, all other parties except the NC have finalised their candidates for different posts. NC leaders and cadres say the party has failed to pick candidates due to internal dispute.

Hamal demanded that those persons liked by people and capable of winning the polls be given the party’s tickets. He warned he would not quit the strike until the party committed to pick candidates on the basis of work performance and popularity.

The party’s loyal and popular leader Tarisingh Bohara from Dadeldhura’s inner Madhes had quit the party a few days ago. He and hundreds of NC cadres joined the CPN-UML. Bohara had quit the party after a message circulated that the party’s central office was picking candidates for civic polls in the district. NC student leader Santosh Deuba said that local NC leaders were busy visiting Kathmandu to lobby for tickets, while other party leaders and their candidates were already campaigning in the district.

NC Dadeldhura President Karna Bahadur Malla said that it was not appropriate to stage hunger strike when candidate picking process had not even begun.