Nepali Congress, CPN-UML claim will emerge victorious in polls

As campaigning intensifies in poll-bound Nepal, major political parties Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have made claims and counter-claims about who will emerge as the victor in November 19 Constituent Assembly elections.
Nepali Congress "will either win a simple majority or emerge as the largest party in the Constituent Assembly elections", party general secretary Prakash Man Singh, who is contesting polls from Kathmandu 1 constituency said while talking to select Indian mediapersons at his residence here.
"It is necessary for the people to give clear victory to a democratic party for drafting a fully democratic constitution," he said.
"Nepali Congress stands for democracy, nationalism and religious freedom since its inception," he said and cautioned the voters against those political parties that are making religion a major election agenda to woo the voters.

Singh was pointing towards Kamal Thapa-led pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, which is campaigning for reinstating Nepal as a Hindu state and restoring constitutional monarchy in the country.
"Though we stress on drafting the constitution after completing the election, we are also focusing on development and construction works as second priority to address the aspirations of the voters," he said.

Slamming the UCPN-Maoist, Singh said, "though the Maoist party had signed many agreements in the past to show their support to the principles of democracy, the party is not committed to the pluralistic democratic principle by action."
Ishwor Pokharel, general secretary of CPN-UML, who is contesting election from Kathmandu 5 Constituency, also claimed that his party would emerge as the largest party in the forthcoming Constituent Assembly elections.

"We will emerge as the largest party in the CA elections," he said while launching door-to-door campaign in the constituency.
The UML was the third largest party in the 601-member first Constituent Assembly.
"We are committed to drafting the constitution within a year and after that we will focus on socio-economic transformation of Nepal.
"We are fighting for social justice and economic prosperity," Pokharel said.
Responding to a question, he said "the CPN-Maoist, the breakaway faction of the UCPN-Maoist, has no right to foil the November polls, though the party can peacefully canvass for people to boycott the elections.