Biratnagar, May 31

Residents of Birtanagar Sub-metropolitan City see the second phase of local level elections as politically and historically significant.

As the civic poll approaches, locals in the sub-metropolitan city have started discussing who and which party will win the elections.

Nepali Congress claims Biratnagar as its pocket area due to the fact that the Koirala family hail from there.

In the past local level elections, CPN-UML had won the election even though the area was seen as the land of the Koirala family. Earlier, the big two parties NC and UML were competitors. Now, the CPN-Maoist Centre and Federal Socialist Forum, among other parties, are also big become players.

The NC had received more votes than others in the second Constituent Assembly elections in Biratnagar area whereas then Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Nepal and Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum-Democratic stood second and third and the CPN-MC and the UML stood in the fourth and fifth positions.

NC Morang President Dig Bahadur Limbu said the position of the NC at present was not as it was before in Biratnagar. “We have been convincing people to protect pocket area of the party,” he added. It is said NC had won Morang in 1979 while Rastriya Prajatantra Party and CPN-UML had won two times each.

UML municipal Coordinator Sagar Thapa said that his party has a clear map for the development of Birtanagar.

CPN-MC is also planning to set a new record in the second phase of the civic polls in Biratnagar. Deputy mayoral candidate Namita Neupane from the CPN-MC claimed that the party would come out tops in the local level election in Biratnagar area.

Similarly, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal also claims the party will lead Biratnagar in the upcoming civic polls.

The total population of Biratnagar Municipal area is 220,931.

Local leaders of different parties said that more people from the Madhesi community live in the area and they might be the decisive voters.

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