Leaders for ‘effective’ door-to-door drives

KATHMANDU, NOV 04 -

Early Sunday morning as the country woke up to welcome the day of Laxmi Puja, thousands of people gathered outside the Bag-Bhairav temple in Kirtipur. A few cars with red and white flags were parked at the junction’s corner, songs from the loudspeakers filled the air and people waited with bated breath. This wasn’t, however, a gathering for some festivity. The people waited for the UCPN (M) leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal to arrive as part of his door-to-door election campaign in the area.

Dahal, who won the 2008 election from this very constituency, Kathmandu-10, was back, and people greeted him with loud cheers and the Lal Salaam, the greeting typical of a communist party.

And very soon, Dahal’s campaign began, as he walked down the narrow allies of this old town with chains of hands encircling him and his close allies, including Khagedra Sangraula, Hari Roka and Yug Pathak, accompanying him.

Musicians playing traditional instruments and the Lakhey dance lent a festive air to the gathering. While most of the people greeted Dahal at their doors, the elderly peeked through windows. This was Dahal’s second visit to the constituency this election .

Senior leaders seem to be relying hugely on such campaigns, as they say this is popular strategy and a lot more effective.

On the other side of the city, NC leader Gagan Thapa walked the streets, visited homes, and sought votes for the November 19 Constituent Assembly election . He has been tireless campaigning in his constituency in Kathmandu-4. Last week, Thapa was seen at the Narayan Chaur-Naxal area, hitting every doorstep and engaging in brief conversations with the locals. For 18 days now and 10 hours a day, Thapa has been walking for his door-to-door campaign. He says he has visited around 70 percent of the area, while he plans to complete the rest in the next three days. Thapa’s campaign isn’t much different from Dahal’s as he too is greeted with the Tika, garlands and yoghurt by locals. Thapa’s campaign is a bit different, as he has embarked on what he calls an environment friendly campaign. He as decided not to use posters and vehicles.

At Madhavsthan in Koteshwor, senior CPN-UML leader and Former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal’s excitement is worth mentioning. Nepal, who lost the 2008 election , has been aggressively going ahead with his door-to-door campaign, while he is using all the posters and vehicles.

UCPN (Maoist) central committee member and Dahal’s close aide, Hemanta Prakash, says a door-to-ddor campaign is an opportunity for leaders to explain to the people the failures of the last CA.

“These campaigns help leaders get back the trust from the people. Face to face interaction is always an effective medium to reach out to the public,” he said.

NC leader Thapa feels that such campaigning has gained popularity this time as the Election Commission’s (EC) code of conduct has limited campaigning techniques.

“The level of people’s excitement has gone down as compared to previous election s. They don’t want to attend mass meetings and rallies anymore. Hence leaders must go to their doors and meet them personally,” said Thapa.

Thapa said he has rejected the idea of mass meetings and other “extravagant campaigning methods.”

Office Secretary at Madhav Kumar Nepal’s Election Campaigning Office, Suresh Nirola, says they had to opt for the door-to-door campaign to strengthen their bond with the local people.

“In the 2008 election , we neglected the idea of such campaigning and hence lost the polls,” he said. “We were limited to roads and highways in the last election , while this time around, we have entered people’s homes to win over their confidence,” he added. According to Nirola, Nepal has completed 85 percent of his door-to-door campaign.

However, locals have a different perspective. Bekha Ram Shrestha, a tea seller at Kirtipur, says he voted for Dahal lastelection s. “But he visited our area only five years after that. He visits us only during election s,” he said. Jagat Man Shrestha of Naxal thinks leaders knock at the doors only when they need votes. “They know that we had high hopes, but they did nothing. It is high time that they realise that they need us always,” he said.