KATHMANDU: As forging electoral alliances for the upcoming May 13 local-level elections has become a tricky affair, Nepal’s major political parties seem to be waiting for others to blink first.
Political party, particularly the main opposition, CPN-UML, has been holding the cards close to its chest.
The UML party, however, seems to have kept all options open on possible alliances despite passing good and bad comments.
As time is short, the five-party ruling coalition led by Nepali Congress (NC) has endeavored to clear the air over the possibility of electoral alliances.
However, equally confounding is the commotion that each party seems to be making.
Maoist Supremo Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” and Unified Socialist Chairman Madhav Kumar Nepal feel an alliance (with Nepali Congress) is inevitable since they have realized that without NC, they may stand to lose.
Alliance with NC will eventually benefit Prachanda’s Maoist and Madhav Nepal’s Unified Socialist.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wants to take this alliance until the next general election by giving an attractive package to Prachanda and Madhav Nepal despite the dissatisfaction of NC cadres at the local level.
It may be recalled that Maoist Chairman Prachanda has made hectic moves and even rushed to Baluwatar several times to make last-ditch efforts for an electoral alliance with Nepali Congress.
Prachanda, as always, is accustomed to hard-bargaining tactics, which he believes is the key to success.
The UML card played by Prachanda has put pressure on the Nepali Congress.
Moreover, even Madhav Kumar Nepal has been resorting to the same tactic to try to get the upper hand.
UML leaders are, however, aware of Prachanda and Nepal’s tactic. That’s why UML Chairman KP Oli has been repeatedly saying that the Maoist and the Unified Socialists have no guts to contest the local elections without “holding NC’s hands”.
However, NC cadres and even some central leaders believe that alliances with the Left political parties will ultimately backfire on the Nepali Congress.
For instance, Prachanda last week publicly stated that he would not even hesitate to go to Balkot (UML Chairman KP Oli’s residence) if there was a need for an electoral alliance with the (now opposition) UML.
He, however, sent Barshaman Pun, his confidant, to meet UML Chairman Oli to discuss a possible alliance in the upcoming local elections.
Meanwhile, despite the ruling political parties deciding to form an alliance at the local level, the ruling parties have yet to prepare a blueprint for the same.
Therefore, the UML seems to be quite assertive to say that the current equation may change sometime soon before the local election.
It should be recalled that even though the Maoist and the NC had coordinated in about 100 places in the 2074 BS local level election, the Maoist party had analyzed that the results were not as expected.
UML leader Prithivi Subba Gurung does not rule out the possibility of forming an alliance sans the NC and the Unified Socialist if need be.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba wants to take this alliance until the next general election by giving an attractive package to Prachanda and Madhav Nepal despite the dissatisfaction of NC cadres at the local level.
A “generous” (for the Maoists) PM Deuba fears that if the alliance goes awry in the local elections, it will affect the upcoming parliamentary elections, and that he would not be able to continue as the Prime Minister for the sixth time.
Therefore, he is even ready to give up his claim on several local levels for the Maoist and the Unified Socialist with “as per the necessity” as an excuse.
However, interestingly, local-level Maoist leaders seem to be in favor of forging an electoral alliance with the CPN-UML rather than the Nepali Congress since they believe that allying with the UML would be more productive than with the NC.
It should be recalled that even though the Maoist and the NC had coordinated in about 100 places in the 2074 BS local level election, the Maoist party had analyzed that the results were not as expected.
Meanwhile, if UML vice-chairman, Bishnu Poudel’s version is to be considered, his party was not in favor of forming an alliance with the Maoist even if there is a necessity at the local level.
UML’s Ishwor Pokhrel has also ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance between UML and the Maoist in the May 13 local election.
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