JHAPA, NEPAL, FEB 19 (AFP/APP/DNA):In Nepal’s eastern plains, rival political flags depicting blue bells and red suns flutter over tea farms and brick homes — symbols of a local election campaign shaping landmark nationwide polls.
Two prime ministerial candidates are going head-to-head in Jhapa-5, turning the sleepy district into a pivotal battleground in the Himalayan nation’s March 5 elections — the first since deadly anti-corruption protests in September toppled the government.
The district is the stronghold of Marxist leader KP Sharma Oli — the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister ousted by the unrest — who is confident of a return to power from a seat he has won multiple times.
“There is no need to doubt,” tough-talking Oli told reporters, as official campaigning kicked off this week. “There is no need for me to think that this is challenging.”
He faces 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah as his main rival. The former mayor of Kathmandu stepped down to run against Oli in the former leader’s constituency, 275 kilometres (170 miles) southeast of the capital.
“Contesting against a major figure signals that I am not taking the easy way out,” Shah, who has cast himself as a representation of youth-driven political change, told AFP.
A defeat for either prime ministerial candidate at the local level would most likely end their bid to lead the country.
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