By Pushpa Raj Pradhan prachanda-sherbahadurThe Nepali Congress held its central working committee (CWC) meeting and the Maoist Center held its Party Secretariat meeting to evaluate the two respective party’s performance in the last local elections and to develop an election strategy for the third phase local level elections. In the NC meeting party president Sher Bahadur Deuba was strongly criticized by the party leaders. Party leaders in the opposition group alleged that the party was defeated because of the weak leadership of Deuba. As Deuba tried to drive the party singlehandedly, the party had to face serious fall in the party organization, as a result, the party had to face defeat in the local elections, the opposition group alleged. Similarly, the Maoist leaders, in the party secretariat meeting, while evaluating the party’s weaknesses, asked party supremo to restructure the party organization. So far, the Maoist Center supremo Pushpakamal Dahal had not faced criticism, rather, Dahal warned the party leaders that if they will not change their working style, the party would dissolve in the future. Dahal made it clear that he is going to lead the party for the next ten years and give it a new height. Dahal has decided to make the party central committee from the existing number of 3999 to 99 and also trim the party politburo. Why NC and MC became second and third largest party?: Although the party leaders say that due to their organizational weaknesses, both the parties had to face defeat in the local elections, however, they didn’t analyze on the India factor in their defeat. The UML was able to cash in its past achievements, including signing of ten important agreements with China and also working hard on development projects which would benefit the people. Delhi played the role in developing alliance between the NC and MC and even today, the alliance is continuing. On the other hand, Delhi had planned to downsize UML and it had believed that if the alliance between NC and MC was developed and even establish an election alliance between the two parties, the UML would come-down to the third position. This calculation of Delhi has failed as the UML emerged as the largest party in the two local elections and in the local elections in No 2 province also, UML will secure at least second position and secure first position in the entire elections process. The NC and MC leaders have even alleged that the UML has expanded its influence even to the village level by mobilizing INGOs and NGOs; The UML had received huge financial support from the Western INGOs and other parties could not match the UML’s election expenditure, nevertheless, one thing is clear that the UML has been able to test the mood of the voters. The voters, who had suffered economic blockade, didn’t wish to vote for the NC and MC candidates as both the parties are considered as Indian puppets.