KATHMANDU: Today marks the final day of campaigning for the Kirtipur local by-election, which will take place on December 1.
The silence period will begin at midnight tonight. On this last day of campaigning, prominent political figures are scheduled to address an election rally in Kirtipur, including Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel.
RPP leaders Rajendra Lingden, Rabindra Mishra, and Gyanendra Shahi have already participated in an election rally in Kirtipur on Wednesday.
In addition, Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang, Swagat Nepal, and Dr. Surendra KC are expected to attend today’s rally, urging support for independent candidate Rajman Maharjan.
A total of 20 candidates are vying for the mayoral position in Kirtipur.
Among them are Krishnaman Dangol from the Nepali Congress, Surendra Manandhar from the UML, and Shiva Sharan Maharjan from the Maoist Center.
Other candidates include Dhruba Maharjan from the RPP, Deepak Maharjan from the Janata Samajwadi Party, Keshav Shrestha from the Janamat Party, and Shree Krishna Maharjan from the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party.
Although the Unified Socialist Party has nominated Bhanu Rijal for Mayor, they have decided to support the Maoist candidate.
Similarly, the Nepal Samajwadi Party, led by Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, which has fielded Dil Kumar Maharjan for Mayor, has also pledged its support to the Maoist candidate, according to Maoist leaders.
Voting will take place for the mayor of Kirtipur, which has about 31,000 eligible voters, as well as for the ward chairmen of Wards 1 and 4.
The by-election for the mayor’s post was prompted by the untimely death of Mayor Rajkumar Nakarmi, who had won the 2079 election as a candidate of the Nepali Congress.
In this municipality, the Nepali Congress faces the challenge of maintaining its dominance, while parties such as the UML, Maoist, RPP, and several independent candidates are competing for control.
In the 2079 local elections, the Nepali Congress secured victories in 9 out of 10 wards of Kirtipur Municipality, with the independent party winning Ward No. 4. The UML failed to win any ward chair in the same elections.
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