Chitwan, August 7

CPN-UML Chitwan has rued the conspiracy to defeat the party in the re-election held to choose the mayor of Bharatpur metropolis.

Speaking at a press conference organised at the party office in Madannagar today, UML Chitwan district chairperson Krishnabhakta Pokharel said there was massive misuse of state power in the re-election in Bharatpur 19 recently.

“While voters were transported in hordes, millions of rupees was distributed to influence voters. Nothing could be more brazen misuse of state power than this,” he said, accusing NC leaders of secretly consenting to the tearing of ballot papers.

Though we haven’t been elected to the post of mayor, we are the first party in the metropolis by virtue of having won 70 of the total 147 seats, he said.

UML mayoral candidate Devi Prasad Gyawali also bemoaned the ‘misuse of state power’ in the re-election. “On the one hand, the verdict of the Supreme Court was delayed deliberately, and on the other millions of rupees was distributed to defeat me,” he said.

After the first round of civic polls on May 14, CPN-MC candidates had torn some ballot papers on the night of the vote count on May 28. Though the Election Commission had ruled a re-election over the ballot paper tearing fiasco, a case had been filed with the Supreme Court on June 4. The Supreme Court on July 30 had upheld the EC’s decision to opt for a re-election.