CPN-UML Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli has solicited votes for Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa in the National Assembly election.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday a day ahead of the election, Oli has asked for votes for Thapa calling him a senior leader of communist movement. "His victory will also boost emotional unification of the communist movement. I, therefore, urge to make our party's candidate victorious in the election through unity."
Thapa's win does not look easy though despite UML Secretary General Ishwar Pokharel already issuing whip on elected representatives from the party who are voters in the election.
Thapa met UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal at the latter's residence in Koteshwore Tuesday and asked for his support in the National Assembly election
But Nepal responded that he cannot give his words on supporting Thapa. A leader of the Kahanal-Nepal faction confided with Setopati that the faction cannot support Thapa. "Thapa asked for votes from our faction. But Nepal has not given assurances," the leader stated. "There is no use giving words that we will vote because he is not our candidate."
Thapa is contesting for National Assembly seat from Bagmati province vacant after his expulsion by CPN (Maoist Center) on joining UML.
Leftist leader Khim Lal Devkota, who is close to Nepal, is the joint candidate of major opposition parties contesting as an independent candidate.
UML decided to field Thapa, who had insisted to not contest if victory were not guaranteed, as candidate just hours before the deadline to file nominations for the election expired.
The Khanal-Nepal faction was at war with CPN-UML Chairman and Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli at the time of filing nominations but Devkota has yet to withdraw candidacy despite the two sides starting dialogue to resolve the internal dispute in recent days.
