Political polarisation in Nepal ahead of major elections

Kathmandu: Ahead of the provincial and the federal elections in Nepal, the ruling Nepali Congress is likely to announce a coalition of right-wing forces with some smaller parties to counter the grand leftist alliance.

The Nepali Congress, which has expressed readiness to be part of the proposed "democratic alliance", will hold a meeting tomorrow, as political parties continue to align according to their ideologies ahead of the crucial polls in the next two months.

At least five political parties, including the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN), the Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal and the Nepal Loktantrik Forum (NFL), have decided to forge an alliance with Nepali Congress to counter the grand leftist alliance.

Their decision comes a day after the CPN-UML led by K P Oli, CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Prachanda and Naya Shakti Nepal led by Baburam Bhattarai announced a grand leftist alliance for provincial and parliamentary elections.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party Democratic is also likely to join the alliance.

Fringe parties on both sides of the political spectrum such as the Rastriya Janamorcha and the Nepal Workers and the Peasant Party are under pressure to choose between the NC and the UML-led alliances due to sharp political polarisation.

The grand leftist and rightist alliance is likely to make a big differences in the?outcome in the upcoming elections, point out political observers.

Nepali Congress has called an emergency meeting of the party's central working committee tomorrow to discuss the matter, said Dhyan Govinda Ranjit, CWC member and Parliament Member from Nepali Congress.

Meanwhile, Nepali Congress general secretary Sashanka Koirala has said that it is natural to forge a working alliance among the parties with common ideology prior to the elections.

He also stressed the need for collaborating with democratic forces in the upcoming federal and provincial elections.

Nepal's Election Commission is preparing to hold provincial election on November 26 and federal election on December 5.