BY-ELECTIONS
KATHMANDU, APRIL 4
Five partners of the ruling alliance the Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal, and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party-Nepal issued a joint statement urging their party leaders and sister wings of the alliance partners to support the ruling alliance's candidates in the three parliamentary constituencies Chitwan-2, Bara- 2 and Tanhun-1 where by-elections are scheduled for April 23.
Nepali Congress has fielded Jeet Narayan Shrestha in Chitwan-2, and JSP-N has fielded Upendra Yadav in Bara-2. The five parties' joint statement is also aimed at some alliance partners who have fielded candidates against the official candidates of the alliance.
In Bara-2, Janamat party and Aaam Janata Party that are partners of the current alliance, have also fielded candidates against JSP-N candidate Upendra Yadav.
Similarly, the Ranjita Shrestha-led Nagarik Unmukti Party has fielded candidates in Tanahun-1 and Bara-2 constituencies.
Janamat Party Chair CK Raut who defeated JSP-N Chair Upendra Yadav in Saptari-2 constituency with a huge margin, has fielded Shivachandra Kushwaha who had lost the November 20 parliamentary election to JSP-N candidate Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav with a small margin of less than 400 votes.
Similarly, the NC has fielded Govinda Bhattarai in Tanhun-1 constituency.
The five parties have urged all partners of the alliance to ensure coordination and cooperation amongtheir sister organisations and well-wishers, to secure victory of their candidates with a huge margin.
NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN-MC Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal, CPN- US Chair Madhav Kumar Nepal, JSP-N Chair Upendra Yadav and LSP-N Chair Mahantha Thakur have jointly issued the press statement.
The April 23 by-election will be crucial as some key leaders are vying for HoR membership.
Rastriya Swatantra Party Chair Rabi Lamichhnae who had won a landslide victory in November 20 elections, has the challenge of showing that he continues to enjoy people's support and his popularity has not eroded since the Supreme Court's decision to invalidate his election to the HoR on the ground that he had not obtained his Nepali citizenship after renouncing his American passport.
Economist Swarnim Wagle who quit the Nepali Congress a few days ago has joined the RSP and is now a candidate from Tanhun-1.
This election will test the popularity of this Harvard University educated candidate.
This by-election is also a fight for political domination in the Madhes.
The newly emerged CK Raut-led Janamat Party is trying to outpace the ruling alliance partners in Madhes politics.
He knows well that reducing the influence of Upendra Yadav and his party in the Madhes can create good space for his own party and this is the main reason behind his decision to field Shivachandra Kushwaha in Bara-2.
Ram Sahay Yadav had defeated Kushwaha by a very narrow margin.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 5, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
