Accept it or not, “loktantra” has failed
The present “loktantra” in the country has failed. Those parties advocating for secularism, federalism, and republicanism have become unpopular, thus far, to save their political existence, they have developed a syndicate. Particularly, the Maoist Center (MC) led by Pushpakamal Dahal and the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) led by Upendra Yadav are the parties known to be advocating for the present political structure but the very parties have developed an electoral alliance with other parties to save their political existence. Prachanda took an initiative for a political syndicate of the five parties even accepting the leadership of Sher Bahadur Deuba, president, Nepali Congress.
On the other hand, Upendra Yadav has joined hands with the UML, just to save his political existence. The Tarai agenda raised by the Tarai-based parties has also been cornered along with the inclining unpopularity of the Tarai-based parties. If the Nepali Congress and the Maoist Center would not include the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP) led by Mahanta Thakur, it was sure that the party would face a humiliating defeat in the 20 November election.
On the whole, the political parties have become so weak that they are unable to contest elections without developing an electoral alliance. On the one hand, there is a five-party ruling alliance, on the other, there is an alliance led by the UML. The alliance partners have surrendered their political principle, ideology, morality and ethics and they are concentrated only on securing their victory in the upcoming election.
Moreover, we have witnessed an end in political honesty, whereas, nepotism, favouritism, and lifting family members has been flourished.
Among many anomalies, the proportional election has become an elevator to pick up wives and relatives of influential leaders in the political parties. For example, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’s wife Dr Arzoo Deuba Rana and Home Minister Balkrishna Khand’s wife Manju Khand have occupied the topmost place from the female cluster of the proportional candidates. Besides, Bimalendra Nidhi is the candidate from the Tarai cluster. Furthermore, the proportional election has become a medium for earning money by selling seats to businessmen and brokers. In all the political parties the same practice exists.
In conclusion, “loktantra” has become a box of anomalies and political leaders are performing naked dances.
How unpopular have the leaders become, we can see, with the fear of defeat, Prachanda went to the Gorkha-2 electoral constituency by leaving his home constituency in Chitwan-3. Similarly, Madhav Nepal, chairman of the Unified Socialist Party, who had contested the election from a constituency in Kathmandu in 2017, returned to his home constituency when he saw less chance of winning the election from the previous electoral constituency. Even after developing a political syndicate, the leaders are not sure about their victory as many independent candidates have appeared to challenge those political leaders who have enjoyed power again and again and always deceived the voters.
The supreme leaders in the political parties are just performing autocracy by promoting nepotism and favouritism. Talking about Prachanda, he has misused the post of party supremo by uplifting daughters, daughter-in-law and other relatives. Those who fought for a revolutionary change have been deprived always. The same scenario we can see in other political parties as well. The party cadres have become the slaves of the supreme leadership. Just on 13 October, Bhim Rawal, vice chairman of the UML, disclosed the anarchism of his party chair K.P. Sharma Oli. When Rawal voiced against the MCC and the Indian hegemony continuously, Oli didn’t give an election ticket to him. Other party workers who were lauding patriotism, didn’t get an election ticket. Whatsoever the showing appearance of Oli, he is trying his best to please Delhi and the West.
When we talk about the five-party ruling alliance, no doubt, it is a product of the Indo-West alliance. It has been reported that under strong pressure from the Lainchour Durwar, Deuba and Prachanda were compelled to include LSP led by Mahanta Thakur in the alliance by excluding JSP led by Upendra Yadav. No doubt, LSP is the party of those who directly represent the Lainchour Durwar. To conclude, whether we talk about the ruling alliance or the opposition alliance, all the leaders are in a race to please Delhi Durwar.