KATHMANDU: The nationwide awareness campaign launched by the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has failed to gather momentum. Notwithstanding the party ‘high-command’s instruction’, party lawmakers seem to lack the impetus to mingle with the party supporters in the districts.

Several lawmakers and central members, who were supposed to spend at least one month in the assigned districts, have returned to the capital in one pretext or the other, while some furnishing their justification saying they needed to “attend” the parliamentary session.

The nationwide awareness campaign, which began on April 24, has been aimed at educating people about the government’s wrongdoings as well as to strengthen the party organization.

Party leaders like Prakash Man Singh, Gagan Thapa, Pushpa Bhusal, among others returned to Kathmandu after inaugurating the campaign in the districts in the pretext of attending the pre-budget session.

NC spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma, however, said the party lawmakers might have moved to other areas after inaugurating the campaign in their respective districts.

“Time is not ripe to comment or review the success of the campaign,” Sharma said adding that the engine, which has just started is gradually gaining momentum. “We have found them quite enthusiastic,” he defended the lawmakers expressing ignorance about their return.

Sharma, however, acknowledged the fact that there have been some lapses in the party’s much-hyped month-long campaign.

While the first phase will run till May 25 in all 77 districts, the second phase will commence from August 31 to September 24 when all the central members are instructed to visit all 330 provincial electoral constituencies and spend at least 15 days and conduct awareness programs, the party said.

The third phase beginning from December 23 will end on January 1 next year and the central members, as well as lawmakers, have been instructed to visit all 753 local levels for around 10 days.

Political analyst Peshal Niraula says, “The NC party came into existence by organizing awareness programs and campaigns. However, unless the party leadership fails to take people into confidence, the party cannot progress.”

According to him, merely organizing such campaigns cannot bring back life. “NC, which has deviated from its principles, needs to change,” he suggested while questioning the relevance of the awareness campaign.

Niraula labeled the campaign as a drive to strengthen ‘factionalism’ rather than the party as a whole.