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Maoists struggle to win
These are testing times for the Maoists, who even after holding sway over a large part of Nepal for a decade, are trying hard to register an electoral victory in Kathmandu, reports Anirban Roy.
These are testing times for the Maoists, who even after holding sway over a large part of Nepal for a decade, are trying hard to register an electoral victory in Kathmandu.
They are desperate to make their presence felt in the capital because unlike the rural areas, their 'Janayuddha (Peoples War)' has failed to create much of an impact here.
Maoist candidates are fighting from all the 10 constituencies in Kathmandu. Prachanda too is also trying his luck in the capital.
In addition to Rolpa-2, the erstwhile Maoist headquarters, the Maoist chief is contesting from the Kathmandu-10 constituency, which has traditionally been a communist stronghold.
The constituency has 63,800 voters, and may not be too difficult for the Maoist chief to win as people in the area have always been against the monarchy in Nepal.
In 1768, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the conquering Shah King from Gorkha had attacked the kingdom of Kirtipur (Prachanda's constituency) and after a tough siege, the kingdom was captured.
Angry with the resistance, King Prithvi Narayan Shah had ordered to cut off nose and lips of all the male residents. The people of Kirtipur have still not forgotten the ghastly king's torture.
