Senior Madhesi leaders contend with defeat

 Top Madhesi and UCPN (Maoist) leaders have either lost or are trailing in the vote count of the Constituent Assembly election .

Two chairmen of Madhesi parties have lost from one of the two constituencies they are contesting from, while two others are trailing. Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav lost to Amrit Aryal of Nepali Congress in Morang-7. He had won last CA election from the constituency defeating Aryal. Yadav, who was considered the face of Madhes uprising in 2007, had a narrow lead in Sunsari-5, another constituency he is contesting from.

Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Chairman Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar lost to NC’s Shekhar Koirala in Morang-7, where the former had won last polls. But he won from Sunsari-3 by a narrow margin of 362. An interesting competition is seen between Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato and his rival Mahendra Yadav of the Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party in Sarlahi-4.

Mahato, who won from the constituency last CA election , was trailing Yadav. Sarat Singh Bhandari, chairman of the Rastriya Madhes Samjbadi Party, lost to UCPN (Maoist) candidate Giri Rajmani Pokharel from Mahottari-1. Pokharel had won the seat in 2008 too.

Mahanta Thakur, chairman of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, was trailing in Sarlahi-6 NC’s Amresh Kumar Singh. Thakur lost the seat in 2008 as well. TMLP Vice-chairman Hridayesh Tripathy lost to NC’s Dev Prasad Kalwar in Nawalparasi-6. Tripathy had won the seat last CA election .

Chairmen Rajkishore Yadav of MJF-Ganatantrik contesting in Sirah-6 and Sarita Giri of Nepal Sadbhawana Party, who was in the fray from Parsa-1, were not among the top contenders in their constituencies. Yadav had won the seat last time.

UCPN (Maoist) leader Baburam Bhattarai lost to CPN-UML leader Bishnu Poudel in Rupandehi-4. However, Bhattarai has won from Gorkha-1. Another Maoist leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha lost to UML’s Subash Thakuri in Makwanpur-2.

Former Maoist commander Nanda Kishor Pun lost to NC’s Gagan Thapa in Kathmandu-4. Maoist leader Devendra Poudel lost to NC’s Dhyan Govinda Ranjit in Kathmandu-9 and Post Bahadur Bogati lost to NC’s Bahadur Singh Tamang in Nuwakot-3.

Five gen secys lose in a district

BARA: Five general secretaries of various Madhesi parties have suffered defeat in the district. Pramod Gupta of the Rastriya Madhes Samajwadi Party lost from Bara-3. Atmaram Sah of the Tarai Madhes Rastriya Abhiyan was defeated in Constituency-2 while Saroj Yadav of the Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party lost in Constituency-1. Jitendra Sonal of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party suffered defeat in Constituency-4 and Saphik Ansari of the Sarita Giri-led Nepal Sadbhawana Party lost in Bara constituency number 3.