Nepal Elections: Political Parties Intensify Campaign Ahead Of March 5 Polls

Nepal's oldest and newest parties intensified election campaigns on Wednesday, with just 15 days left for the March 5 general elections. While the oldest party, the Nepali Congress (NC), released its election manifesto on Wednesday, the newest, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), will officially unveil its manifesto on Thursday.

NC's newly elected President Gagan Thapa unveiled the manifesto known as "Commitment Paper", in the party's first grand public meeting in Janakpurdham, the capital of Madhesh province. "Prosperity, inclusiveness and economic development are the primary agenda of Nepali Congress," stated the manifesto. Its 10-point commitments include a "life with dignity", "big dreams", "employment creation and prosperity", "good governance" and "self-respect".

While unveiling the election manifesto, 49-year-old Thapa, who revolted against the party's old generation leadership by convening a Special Convention a couple of months ago, announced, "I am not the leader but the son of Madhesh."

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Thapa, who had been elected from Kathmandu- 4 constituency in the 2022 election and earlier polls, chose Dhanusha district in Madhesh province to build momentum for the NC. He is the prime ministerial candidate of the NC. Similarly, the RSP led by Ravi Lamichhane will unveil its manifesto, known as "Citizens' Contract Paper" on Thursday, which lays emphasis on employment and economic growth.

It will be unveiled in western Nepal's Karnali province and includes, among other things, employment for 1.2 million people and increasing the per capita income of each citizen to USD 3,000, up from the current USD 1,450, within a five-year period.

RSP's senior leader and prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah "Balen" on Wednesday addressed the party's first grand election rally called "Parivartan Udghosh" in Sudurpaschim province's Dhangadi. "We have come here not to seek 'vote' but to ask for work," Balen said in his four-minute brief speech addressing thousands of people. "We will work for the prosperity of the Far Western Nepal (Sudurpaschim), whether we win or lose the election," he said.

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Some leaders talk about converting our country into Switzerland, but we don't talk like that, as we have more beautiful places than Switzerland, he said. "Though you have great artists in Sudupaschim, who have one million subscribers, but your songs are not heard in Kathmandu. The country will be united only when the songs of the Far-Western Nepal are also played in the capital city," said the former rapper turned Mayor of Kathmandu, who is aiming at the top executive post of the country.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), chaired by deposed Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, has announced that it will unveil the election manifesto at a press conference in Kathmandu on Thursday. The House of Representatives election will be held on March 5 in the Himalayan nation.

(Note: Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Daily Jagran staff. Credit:PTI)