KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma has said the mid-term elections announced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic will be costly for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli President Bidya Bandari.

Taking to twitter, Spokesperson Sharma said so following the dissolution of the parliament and announcement of mid-term polls by President Bhandari on the recommendation of the Prime Minister on Friday midnight.

“The announcement of the mid-term polls at a time when the country is reeling under COVID-19 will be costly for Prime Minister Oli and President Bhandari,” said Sharma in his twitter.

महामारीमा मृत्युुसंग जुधिरहेका जनतालाई
निर्मम उपहार मध्यावधि ! इतिहासको भिन्न कोतपर्वपछि प्रधानमन्त्री अधिनायकवादको हाइवेको भ्रममा !

तर @PM_Nepal हेक्का रहोस्, जनता पछि होइन अघि हुनेछन्,हामी अघि हुनेछौं, जीत जनताको हुनेछ,लोकतन्त्रको हुनेछ र संविधानलाई पुनर्जीवन दिइनेछ !

— Bishwa Prakash शर्मा (@bishwaprakash77) May 21, 2021

The President and Prime Minister have offered mid-term polls as a gift to the Nepali people at a time when the country is reeling under the COVID-19, said Sharma, terming the move as an act of new ‘Kotparwa’.

Commenting on the announcement of the mid-term polls, NC central member Dr Shekhar Koirala has said President Bhandari blatantly breached the Constitution rather than becoming the custodian of it.

Taking to twitter, Koirala said, “The move taken by the President is unconstitutional and it has pushed the country into a perpetual abyss.”

आफ्नो पदको गरिमा र मर्यादा कुल्चेर संविधानको संरक्षक राष्ट्रपतिबाट मध्यरातमा फेरि पनि संविधान च्यात्ने काम भयो। राष्ट्रपतिको गैरसंवैधानिक र गैरराजनीतिक कदमले देशलाई कहालिलाग्दो द्वन्द्वमा लगेको छ। संविधानलाई समाप्त गर्ने काम भएको छ। राष्ट्रपतिको यो कदम कदापि क्षम्य हुनै सक्दैन।

— Dr Shekhar Koirala (@Shekharnc) May 21, 2021

Similarly, CPN (Maoist Center) leader Barsha Man Pun has said the President and the Prime Minister committed a coup to the Constitution by announcing the mid-term polls on Friday night in a Gyanendra style. Former King Gyanendra Shah had also chosen Friday while committing a coup, said Pun.

Taking to social media, Pun said the mid-term polls was announced at midnight by committing a coup to the Constitution.

मध्यरातमा डकैती गरियो/ ज्ञानेन्द्र शाहले पनि शुक्रबार र मध्यरात नै रोज्ने गर्थे/

— Barsha man Pun (@BarshamanPun1) May 21, 2021

President Bhandari had announced the mid-term polls on Friday midnight by turning down Deuba and Oli’s claims for the post of Prime Minister on Friday midnight.

Nepal’s President Bhandari dissolved the House of Representatives on the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli and announced that mid-term elections would be held on November 12 and 19, a year ahead of schedule.

Likewise, Federal Council Chairman of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Dr Baburam Bhattarai has described the President’s move as a conspiracy to end federal democratic republic by scrapping the Constitution rather than the announcement of the mid-term polls.

भित्री/बाहिरी प्रतिगामी शक्तिहरूको षडयन्त्र/सेटिंगमा गत पुस५बाट जुन अलोकतान्त्रिक/असंवैधानिक/प्रतिक्रान्तिकारी हर्कत शुरू भएको थियो त्यसैको कडी हो यो ओली-विद्या कुकर्म! यो कुनै मध्यावधी चुनाव हैन संघीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र र संविधान खारेजगर्ने प्रपंच हो।एकजुट होऊॅ;प्रतिवाद गरौं! https://t.co/ZLcIdOAjE2

— Baburam Bhattarai (@brb1954) May 22, 2021