CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel Claims Party Will Be the Largest Force in Upcoming Elections

Kathmandu. CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel has claimed that his party will emerge as the largest force in the upcoming elections and announced that the party will unveil its election manifesto in the first week of Falgun. Speaking at a press conference organized in Kathmandu on Friday, Pokhrel informed that UML has intensified preparations for the elections and estimates securing 30 to 34 percent of the popular vote this time.

General Secretary Pokhrel interpreted this election as a 'referendum' that will change the direction of the country. Mentioning that the party is currently focusing on internal meetings and organizational strengthening due to the Election Commission's schedule, he clarified that candidates will fully engage with the public after the manifesto is released. He commented that 'populism' based on social media is a challenge to democracy and emphasized the need to make the election a debate of policies and agendas rather than personalities.

Analyzing the electoral politics of urban areas, Pokhrel claimed that the influence of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is declining in major cities like Kathmandu. "The craze for RSP is weakening in the very segment and area from which it emerged, due to issues like cooperative fraud and organizational weaknesses," he said. He analyzed that although RSP's influence has slightly increased in rural areas, it has not reached a winning level, and the main competition will be between UML and Congress. He described the Nepali Congress as a 'silent' force with a strong base at the grassroots level, though not visible in publicity, and stated that underestimating it would be a mistake.

Speaking about his own candidacy in Dang, Pokhrel expressed confidence that the people would elect him to lead national politics this time, despite having lost by a narrow margin in the past. He claimed to have taken the decisive initiative in securing budget allocation from the Government of Nepal for the construction of the Dang four-lane road, presenting it as a 'game changer' project for the district. He stated that UML will enter the electoral arena with issues such as policy debate, social unity, and the protection of family values.