The Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the main competing forces in the upcoming phase of local elections in Shitalganga Municipality, have started teaching voters how to cast the ballot correctly with an aim to reduce the number of invalid votes.

Mayor and deputy mayor candidates of the parties are canvassing for votes and also imparting voter education while volunteers of the District Education Office have yet to reach the municipality to acquaint the people with the voting process.

The two major parties have fears that invalid votes can cause their candidates to lose, said Hut Bahadur Palli of Bikramsota.

The leaders are approaching mostly the elderly people and women. “We have already reached a village twice with sample ballot papers,” said Basanta Kumar Shrestha, a UML mayoral candidate.

People have confusion as seven candidates are to be voted for in a single large ballot, say candidates. Surya Prasad Adhikari, the NC’s mayoral candidate, said people were responding positively to their effort.

Mock polls are also being held to make the campaign effective. “If there are many invalid votes, we might lose the election,” said UML deputy mayoral candidate Gita Bhat.

Differently-abled complain of neglect

Ilam: Differently-abled people have complained that they were neglected by the parties while choosing candidates for the upcoming polls. The people with disability have been picked as ward member candidates in one or two places in the district. Their population in Ilam is about 1,000.

Alliance in Dharan

SUNSARI: The CPN (Maoist Centre) has decided to forge an alliance with the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal and the Naya Shakti Nepal for the second phase 

of local polls in Dharan. Organising a press conference, the parties announced to form the alliance in the sub-metropolis.

19 teachers quit for polls

OKHALDHUNGA: Nineteen teachers have resigned from their posts to contest in the second-phase polls scheduled for June 28. According to the District Education Office, the teachers decided to quit after their parties chose them to contest the elections.

(With inputs from our local correspondents)