Billionaire Binod Chaudhary, who recently joined Nepali Congress (NC), has kept himself busy in the party’s election campaign here in Nawalparasi district.

The businessman-cum-philanthropist Chaudhary attended the NC’s election rallies in Amarapuri area on Monday, canvassing votes in favour of NC candidate Shashank Koirala. He addressed the assembly for about 20 minutes.

A huge number of the locals gathered to see Chaudhary, who visited the area for the first time to ask for votes. The Chaudhary Udhyog Gram, an industrial area developed by the Chaudhary Group, is located at Dumkauli which lies in Koirala’s constituency.

Addressing the election rallies, Chaudhary and NC General Secretary Koirala heaped praise on each other. Saying that selfless Koirala has his own history and international image, the billionaire urged people to support Koirala in the upcoming federal and provincial elections slated for December 7. He said that a NC-led stable majority government is essential for economic prosperity in the country.

Chaudhary claimed that the liberal economic police adopted by NC after the restoration of democracy in 1990 was instrumental for the industrial development of the country. “Two years—between 1991 to 1993—was the golden period in terms of industrial development and creation of employment,” said Chaudhary, adding that the NC should win the upcoming elections to take the lead for economic prosperity in the country.

On the occasion, Koirala said that his party is committed to make model of economic development of Nepal with the expertise of Chaudhary, a successful businessman.

The NC picked Chaudhary as its candidate for the federal parliament under the proportional representation (PR) system. It was taken as a major bid to counter the left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre). He was earlier elected to the first Constituent Assembly under the UML’s PR quota.

Chaudhary made international headlines in May 2013 when Forbes included him in its notable newcomers list of billionaires.