CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has accused that criminals were active in the guise of politics in Province 2 as they did not want the country’s progress.

Addressing a function organised at the party office in Dhumbarahi to welcome the newly-picked central committee members, former PM Oli said “the criminals won’t allow the parties to hold peaceful programmes”. He added that the incidents in Gaur, Pokhariya and Saptari, in which political cadres were killed or injured, were the works of criminals, not politicians. “Criminals attack peaceful political programmes,” he added.

He also directed the party cadres to work to ensure the party’s victory in Province 2. During the function on Sunday, Chairman Oli administered the oath of office to newly inducted central committee members including Dharmanath Sah, Ram Chandra Yadav, Ganga Yadav, Dharmanath Yadav of Siraha, Ram Chandr Sah Teli of Parsa, Ram Dayal Mandal of Mahottari, Ratneswor Goit and Yadubansha Jha of Dhanusha and Rabindra Baitha of Sarlahi. Central members Raghubir Mahaseth and Lal Babu Yadav had already taken the oath of office during a function in Damak, Jhapa.

Alternative central committee members Naradmuni Rana of Kailali, Juli Mahato and Sudhir Sah of Dhanusha, Manju Chaudhari of Udaypur, Shanta Chaudhary of Dang, Hari Rajbanshi of Jhapa, Sarala Yadav of Rautahat, Saroj Yadav of Mahottari and Mohammad Harun of Banke also took the oath at the function.

A Standing Committee meeting of the party held on March 3 on the eve of launching the Mechi-Mahakali Campaign in Birtamod of Jhapa had decided to pick 21 central members from the Tarai-Madhes.