Political parties are busy preparing for the local elections to be held in a year . The National Independent Party (NISP) is pursuing a strategy to bring in public opinion, similar to the one in the House of Representatives elections held on 21 Falgun, while the Congress, UML, and NCP, among others, are also engaged in a campaign to restructure their organizations targeting local elections . 

NISP forms committee to select candidates  

Since NISP did not participate in the 2079 elections at the provincial and local levels, it does not have its people's representatives there . Due to the lack of provincial and local people's representatives, NISP people's representatives have not been elected to the National Assembly . Due to this, even though it is close to two-thirds in the House of Representatives, the NISP's election agenda of 'amending the constitution' is not in a position to do so . Only if there is a strong public opinion at the local level from the upcoming local and provincial elections, the constitution can be amended as desired by NISP . 

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has started preparations by forming a local election candidate selection framework and a candidate selection club editing committee under the coordination of Joint General Secretary Bipin Kumar Acharya on April 10. Spokesperson Manish Jha said that since there will be many aspiring candidates at the local level due to the results of the House of Representatives election, candidates will be selected through the method and process.

Jha said that the party is focused on the ward level convention for the national general convention to be held on July 20, 21 and 22, and that he will focus on that and will start preparing for the local elections nationwide as soon as the general convention ends. ‘As soon as the general convention ends, we will start preparing for the local elections nationwide,’ he said, ‘Candidate selection is challenging. However, we will select candidates in all municipalities and wards by making methods and processes.’

The RSS has adopted a policy of fielding youth candidates from all clusters. The RSS is preparing to select youth candidates in 753 municipalities. In the House of Representatives elections, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had fielded 40 percent youth candidates under the age of 40 in 164 constituencies.

After Gagan Thapa took the lead, the Congress had fielded 64 percent youth and new-faced candidates in the House of Representatives elections, prioritizing youth and new faces. It is preparing to continue the same 'spirit' in the upcoming local and provincial elections. Meanwhile, the campaign that began with the renewal of the Congress membership has ended in all seven provinces.

Congress Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma has conducted nationwide interactions targeting the upcoming elections and sought suggestions. Congress President Thapa has been instructing the people's representatives at the provincial and local levels to work in conjunction with the issues of concern to the citizens. The Congress has concluded that the provinces and municipalities under its leadership should bring policies and programs that benefit the common people. ‘The provincial and local governments should bring policies, programs and budgets that will have a positive impact on the common citizen,’ said Congress General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire, ‘We have conducted election-targeted interactions and training in all seven provinces and local levels.’ In the training, leaders including President Gagan Thapa, Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma and General Secretary Guru Baral had said that the upcoming elections will be a test for the Congress and instructed them to work in a way that gives confidence that the changed Congress wants to change the country. In the 2079 elections, the Congress came first by winning 329 municipalities.

UML has deployed central members to all 753 municipalities

The UML central secretariat meeting held two weeks ago has given instructions focused on local elections. UML, which has taken forward membership renewal through digital means, has divided the work of ‘Mission Party Jagran’ to central members in all 753 municipalities. ‘The current government and the Election Commission are preparing to hold provincial assembly and local level elections simultaneously. Due to the defeat suffered in the House of Representatives elections, a section of the party is in a state of despair and is trying to flee,' the UML said in the inter-party directive sent to the lower committee, 'It is necessary to improve this situation and awaken a message of hope in the party ranks. As the party is in the review phase, the action plan for party reorganization and revival will be taken forward from the central committee meeting.'

UML Organization Department Head and Secretary Bhanubhakta Dhakal said that they are going to hold a workshop in Kathmandu on Wednesday and Thursday to strengthen the organization and provide dynamism. 'I believe that this will give further momentum to the party organization and will do well for the upcoming elections,' he said.

Province and district in-charges, office bearers and office secretaries of provincial committees or similar committees, district committee chairmen and organization department heads, people's organization central committee chairmen and organization department heads have been invited to the workshop. Dhakal said that future plans will be made for membership expansion, renewal process and organizational strengthening. In the 2079 BS election, UML came second after winning 206 municipalities.

NCP trains municipal chiefs and deputy chiefs

The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has given training to local level chiefs and deputy chiefs on Jestha 13 and 14 and instructed them to start preparing for the upcoming elections. The NCP has instructed them to pay attention to this when making programs for the end of the year, saying that only if they do good work in the local levels they have won can they win the hearts of voters in the upcoming elections. Local department head Agni Sapkota had submitted a proposal to make ‘good governance, development and service delivery’ effective by giving written guidelines.

‘The main priority of the local level should be good governance, development and service delivery,’ he said, ‘The priority of the local government should focus on development issues directly related to the daily lives of the people.’ Among them are livelihood, employment creation, production growth, agricultural modernization, quality education, basic health services, drinking water, infrastructure development and social security.’

‘Local government is the direct guardian of the happiness and sorrow of the people. It bears the important responsibility of restoring the eroded public trust by making development, service delivery and good governance, which are directly related to people’s lives, effective,’ the NCP’s instructions to the people’s representatives state, ‘It is necessary to listen carefully to the citizens and identify the real problems. If we move forward with full strength and commitment, we can achieve qualitative success in the 2084 local elections.’

Labor Culture Party preparing to field as many candidates as possible

The Labor Culture Party, which has reached the House of Representatives for the first time, is preparing to field as many candidates as possible in the local and provincial elections. Leader Aren Rai said that the labor culture that has emerged from the east will make candidates who can work in connection with labor. ‘We have already started preparing for the local and provincial elections,’ he said, ‘We will make candidates who do compulsory labor and have an honest and good image.’

Chairman Harkaraj Rai has urged the local level candidates to send their names through social media. ‘The municipality should send the names of the candidates as they are. Don’t talk about holding elections,’ he said.