Kathmandu, Jan 29: Even as the Royalists deployed actor Manisha Koirala to canvass for pro-Palace candidates, the February 8 municipal elections are turning out to be farcical in more ways than one.

As poll day approaches hundreds of candidates are pulling out of the elections which are being projected by the royalist government as the first step towards return to normality. As the last date of withdrawals ended, 608 candidates have opted out citing various reasons, including threat to their lives from the Maoist rebels.

Only 3,028 candidates now remain in the fray for the 4, 146 seats in 58 municipalities. Following the mass withdrawals, elections will not be held in 22 municipalities as all the contestants have opted out. The remaining 36 municipalities will go to polls.

The mass withdrawals came about after the Maoist rebels killed one candidate and threatened “special action” against others who had filed their nominations as well as activists who canvassed for votes. They have also issued an ultimatum to all district presidents and vice-presidents of the local bodies to resign.

With barely nine days left for the polls, the contesting candidates are cooped up in army camps and police stations when they should have been campaigning for votes. Given the farcical nature of the entire exercise, voters will come to know the names of the candidates only after entering the polling booths.

Arun Thapa, who is contesting for the post of deputy mayor in the Nepalgunj municipality in Western Nepal, was flown to Kathmandu amid tight security yesterday. The security forces airlifted him to the capital as he was under pressure from his relatives to withdraw his candidature, sources in his family said.

Following pressure from the Palace to hold the polls at any cost irrespective of popular participation, the Election Commission has now waived certain basic requirements like educational qualifications. However, there are no takers yet.

Sources in the Palace said King Gyanendra was monitoring the emerging situation on a day-to-day basis. He convened a meeting of his senior ministers and officials of the Election Commission and instructed them to hold the elections at any cost.

Manisha has begun campaigning for royalist candidates in the eastern town of Biratnagar close to the Indian border town of Siliguri.

Her father Prakash Koirala is a minister in the royalist government. He was given the post after he hailed the royal takeover, leading to his expulsion from the Nepali Congress.