Birgunj, May 4 (RSS): Birgunj Metropolitan City, the only metropolitan city in the Madhes Province, is gripped with election fever as different political parties and the independent candidates have intensified their publicity campaign in the city.
Birgunj Metropolitan City is also the hometown of Chief Minister of Madhes Province Lalbabu Raut.
Different political parties are making their commitment paper public and have been carrying out door-to-door campaigns to ask for a vote in the local-level election scheduled for May 13.
Altogether 18 candidates including
independent ones are vying for the mayoral candidates in Birgunj while there
are four candidates including two independent for the post of deputy
mayor.
Rajeshman Singh is the mayoral
candidate of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) representing the five-party electoral
alliance. Likewise, Bijaya Kumar Sarawagi is the common candidate of the CPN
(UML) and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party. Sarawagi had joined the UML some weeks
ago after intra-party feuds in the JSP.
The other candidates for the post
of mayor are Girish Giri from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Bijay Kumar Rauniyar
from Nepal Sadbhawana Party, Gokarna Prasad Koiri from Nepal Kisan Party among
others.
There are a total of 124,647 voters
in Birgunj Metropolitan City.
Meanwhile, the Election Office has
directed all the political parties to replace the publicity banners and posters
of the political parties placed in public places.
As per the election code of
conduct, the candidates and political parties are not allowed to place their
parties’ flags, election symbols and any other publicity materials in the
public buildings, public parks and other public spaces.