Parties intensify by-election activities in Chitwan 2

Chitwan, April 16: By-election activities in the Chitwan district have been up as the by-election date is drawing closer.     

Leaders of various parties including from the centre have intensified the election campaigns in the Chitwan constituency 2, while election mass gatherings, meetings and other activities have taken place. Major political parties including the Nepali Congress, the CPN (UML) and the Rashtriya Swatantra Party are competing in the by-poll.     

The by-election is considered to be important as the RSP Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane won from the constituency with almost double the margin of votes against his contender. Now the seat occupied by Lamichhane has remained vacant after the Supreme Court annulled his status as a lawmaker in a case of citizenship certificate.     

Interestingly, the same Lamichhane is contesting from Constituency 2 this time as well. Other contestants are NC's Jit Narayan Shrestha from the alliance and Ram Prasad Neupane from the UML.     

For the by-poll, the NC has deployed its representatives including eight central members, former central members, former ministers, province assembly members and former district presidents to the district, said Dhurba Pokhrel, Secretary of the NC, Chitwan. NC General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma, who earlier visited the district two times for the purpose, is scheduled to arrive here today to address a by-election campaign, he said.     

Similarly, another NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa is also reaching the district for it. Party joint general secretary Jiban Pariyar is also reaching the district today.     

NC central members Madhu Acharya, Dila Sangraula, Nain Singh Mahar, Sarita Prasain, Dilman Pakhrin, Ramhari Khatiwada, Chinkaji Shrestha and Abdul Satar have been deployed for by-election campaigns.     

Other coalition allies including the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist) have also joined the campaigns, said the NC district president Rajeshwor Khanal.     

UML politburo member Gokul Banskota has been in the district for the past month. Along with him, other party leaders Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai, Shanta Chaudhary and Sher Bahadur Tamang have joined the by-poll campaign, said party leader Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel. Party secretary Gokarna Bista is arriving today, and party chair KP Sharma Oli is scheduled to visit here on April 19, he said.     

RSP leaders including party chairperson Lamichhane, vice chairperson DP Aryal, and leaders Biraj Bhakta Shrestha, Shiva Nepali, Sobita Gautam, Hari Dhakal, Dipak Bohara, Dhurba Giri, Basu Maya Tamang, Ganesh Parajuli and Hari Bhatta have been deployed for the by-poll, said party chairperson Lamichhane's private secretary Prakash Sigdel.     

Similarly, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party chairperson Rajendra Lingden, vice chairperson Bikram Pandey and other leaders have joined by-election activities. There are a total of 124,695 eligible voters, and 43 polling stations and 138 polling places have been designated. (RSS)