Political temperature in Palungtar valley in Gorkha-2 is rising ahead of the upcoming elections even as the mercury is going down with the onset of winter.
The competition here is not just between erstwhile fellow Maoist vice chairmen Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha, but between the left alliance and the democratic alliance.
Both Bhattarai and Shrestha depend on the bigger parties Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML respectively for victory. Gorkha is roiling due to the polarization between NC-Naya Shakti and UML-Maoist Center alliances.
NC and UML are not less agitated than Maoist Center and Naya Shakti. Both the alliances have been holding election rallies in Palungtar. NC was bringing cadres from villages for Bhattarai’s rallies. Cadres of UML and Maoist Center flocked more easily as chairmen of the two parties reached Palungtar for a joint rally.
Cadres who were archenemies until the recent past have now become best friends.
Setopati talked with over 100 cadres traveling over 160 kilometers in Gorkha-2 for three days. They said they will vote for their respective parties in the proportional representation (PR) system and openly conceded they will vote for the alliance candidates for the first past the post-election (FPTP) for the federal parliament.
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Locals of Gorkha talking about election. Photo: Setopati[/caption]
NC is supporting Bhattarai who had once contested against NC. NC leaders and cadres are supporting him despite many digs and accusations by the opposition. “Bhattarai had said he will uproot NC. He has indeed uprooted it. NC’s election symbol tree has vanished from the ballots,” Maoist cadres take a dig at NC.
NC cadres hit back saying the Maoists are ungrateful to the man that has done such developments in Gorkha-2 and NC will show to them by getting Bhattarai elected.
NC feels that the Maoists, divided after split of Bhattarai, can never revive in Gorkha if they could be defeated this time. They, therefore, are trying their best to defeat Maoists. Leaders and cadres of the two alliances elsewhere would hardly be as committed as they are in Gorkha. An NC cadre, we spoke to in Palungtar-7, said NC cadres are ready to vote for Naya Shakti if only to defeat the Maoists. “Wait and count the votes in PR system and you will see,” the cadre stated.
NC wants to revive its glorious past with help of Bhattarai. It had won all the constituencies in the district in the first three parliamentary elections after restoration of democracy in 1990. “We have weakened Maoists in the local election,” an NC cadre we found in Dumre said. “Bhattarai will not get a national status even after winning in Gorkha. Maoists will be weaker if they lose. Their base will be taken away,” the cadre reasoned.
Another reason for strong NC support for Bhattarai in Gorkha-2 is the fact that he has supported NC candidate Chin Kaji Shrestha in Gorkha-1. “It is better to vote for left eye of Naya Shakti than to vote for communists when tree is no longer in the ballots,” NC cadres said. “We will put stamp on tree wherever we find it.”
The alliance of UML and Maoist Center is no less close-knit in the district. “It is as if we have gathered for our kul pooja (clan rituals). We come from the same ancestors. The siblings separated. We have now come together for the election that is like a ritual. We are communists. It will not be difficult to vote for sickle and hammer,” Kos Bilas Kalakheti, a UML cadre of Palungtar-8, said.
UML is firmly behind Narayan Kaji Shrestha of Maoist Center in Gorkha-2. The party is very weak overall in the district but it can now raise its voice with support of Maoist Center. The left alliance is working very hard to keep left cadres intact as Bhattarai is a very strong competitor and has a communist past.
The dedication and commitment of UML cadres toward the alliance are no less than that of NC’s toward Naya Shakti. They believe victory of Shrestha, who has been lobbying for unification of UML and Maoist Center, will ensure unification of the two parties. The left alliance is also benefitting from the expectations that it will form a stable government at the center.
“There is no alternative to the left alliance. We will support Maoist Center for the success of the plan to form a single party,” UML cadres found in Palungtar and Gorkha headquarters are unanimous. They believe UML voters will not think twice before voting for Shrestha as the alliance with Maoist Center is based on principles. “Sun is no longer in the ballots. We will, therefore, vote for the symbol of communists,” they stated.
The contest in Gorkha-2, therefore, is more between the cadres and leaders of the parties associated in the alliances than the candidates.
But only the voters can say whether the candidates are more important or the alliances.
Our next story based on the basis of survey of over 200 voters in Gorkha will try to find what they think.
