As many as 24 fringe parties, including Naya Shakti Nepal, have opposed the Election Commission’s decision not to allot their respective election symbols. 

Organising a joint press conference at the NSN party office in Babarmahal on Thursday, the parties claimed the EC’s decision had violated the spirit of the multi-party democracy. The EC’s decision not to provide election symbols to the parties outside Parliament is also against the spirit of the new constitution, they said. The commission recently decided that the parties not represented in Parliament  would have to fight the election as independent candidates.

Addressing the press meet, NSN leader Parshuram Tamang said the government failed to create environment for the polls despite announcing the date—May 14. Tamang demanded that the government intervene in the matter to uphold the rights of the parties outside Parliament to participate in the elections.