Three major political parties Nepali Congress, CPN- UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) have focussed their activities on Province 2 in view of the third phase of local level elections scheduled for September 18, deploying top leaders to prepare the ground for their electoral victory.

The largest party in Parliament, NC held extensive consultations with its leaders and cadres from Province 2 last week in Kathmandu where the party leadership took a fresh stock of the situation in the eight Tarai districts for devising an election strategy.

As suggested by the NC leaders and cadres from the plains, the party brass is convinced to put the constitution amendment bill to a vote in Parliament as the issue has lingered in the lack of a two-thirds majority in favour of the proposed amendments.

The ruling parties would put the amendment proposal up for voting in a day or two, Maoist leader Barsha Man Pun said at an event in Kathmandu on Sunday.

According to the NC central office, the party established its publicity wing in Janakpur on Saturday and organised a provincial gathering.

Senior leaders Bimalendra Nidhi, Ananda Prasad Dhungana and Ramesh Lekhak were present in the meeting. NC leaders have claimed that their party will clinch a huge electoral victory in Province 2, in a way to stand first in the local level elections overall. The CPN-UML is distinctly ahead of the Congress in the polls held in six provinces.

Some senior Congress leaders will remain in Province 2 until the elections are over, said Lekhak. The party has assigned Nidhi to take charge of the election related preparations in the Madhes province.

The UML has handed over the command of Province 2 to party General Secretary Ishowr Pokhrel. The party has launched a broad orientation programme for its cadres to help them mobilise effectively for the elections.

According to the party, Pokhrel will be based in Mahottari. Deputy General Secretaries Bishnu Poudel and Ghanashyam Bhusal have got the command of Bara and Rautahat districts while Secretary Prithivi Subba Gurung is in charge of Parsa. Another party secretary, Pradip Gyawali will stay in Siraha until the polls.

Secretaries Bhim Acharya, Gokarna Bista and Yogesh Bhattarai have taken the command in Saptari, Sarlahi and Dhanusha, respectively. UML leaders said that to win the polls, the party will forge electoral alliances with any political party except the Nepali Congress.

The Maoist Centre is also gearing up for the polls. The party has called a gathering of its leaders in charge of the eight districts and politburo members from Province 2 from Monday. Top party leaders and local cadres will discuss candidate selection, publicity and possible alliances at the gathering.

Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was elected an MP from Siraha-5, will speak to the party’s provincial leaders about the party’s efforts to pass the constitution amendment bill from Parliament.

Party leaders say Dahal will address rallies to be organised by the party in the eight districts and highlight the efforts made by his government to resolve the issues concerning Madhes.

The Madhes-based parties have also started their preparations in various districts. The newly united force of six Madhesi parties, Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal is still undecided whether to participate in the September 18 vote.