KATHMANDU: Leaders of the ruling coalition have been divided over which election is to be held first – local or federal.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is not in favor of holding local elections at first while CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal does not want to go for federal elections before local elections.

Hence, the ruling coalition is mulling to hold all three-tier elections simultaneously.

Prime Minister Deuba is not confident about doing well in the local elections if it is held earlier, according Nepali Congress leaders.
Most of the NC leaders are in favor of holding parliamentary elections as soon as possible. “The longer the incumbent runs, fewer the votes the NC will receive. Majority of NC leaders opine that the party will turn the tables in its favor if the elections are held during the feud among the communists.

Maoist Center Chairman Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) are in favor of postponing the elections as much as possible.
Dahal has already floated a proposal that if the local elections are to be held earlier, all the three-tier elections must be held simultaneously.

“There is no possibility of holding the parliamentary elections immediately. All the elections should be held simultaneously,” a Maoist Center leader quoted Dahal as saying.

NC leader Shekhar Koirala has also said that Dahal floated a proposal of holding all three-tire elections at one go. However, Deuba has not given a clear-cut response to Dahal’s proposal.

NC Spokesperson Bishwo Prakash Sharma says the dates of elections will be discussed only after the General Conventions of the party.
The main opposition CPN-UML is not in favor of holding all the three elections simultaneously.

The local level election has to be held by mid-November (2022) as per the schedule.