Bidya Bhattarai of ruling NCP wins in Kaski-2, Disappointing performance for ruling party

Pokhara: Ruling Nepal Communist Party’s Bidya Bhattarai won from Kaski Constituency-2 with a wide margin of 8,403 votes in the by-election held Saturday.

Bhattarai secured 24,394 votes while her nearest contender Khem Raj Poudel from main opposition Nepali Congress got 15,991.

Likewise, Socialist Party’s Dharma Raj Gurung got 1,922 votes. Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s Rom Bhandari acquired 1,153 votes, and Sajha Party’s Rajani KC 991.

Voter turnout was 45,579 despite the constituency having 71,871 registered voters.

Meanwhile, following the victory of Bhattarai, a spouse of Rabindra Adhikari, the then Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, NC’s contender Poudel congratulated her by garlanding and smearing vermilions on her.

NCP’s leaders and cadres and well-wishers also rejoiced the victory by exchanging happiness and chanting slogans. Speaking on the occasion, victorious Bhattarai pledged to keep up with the expectations of the voters from late minister Adhikari and the NCP.

She also extended her condolence over death of five workers in a mud mould collapse in Pokhara on Sunday.

However, the current by-election was also seen as gauging the popularity of the government and first election after the party unification.

In both fronts, the NCP has failed to garner people’s support. It lost many seats, and received less number of votes as compared with Nepali Congress.

The leaders of NCP has started to blaming each other, and thinking over the unification process.