Kathmandu: Thousands of Nepalese migrants are returning from India and other countries to cast their votes in the landmark constituent assembly polls on April 10 that would decide the future political system for the Himalayan nation.

Nepalese, working in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and other Indian cities are returning home mainly through Sunauli border point in Bhairahawa, Jogbani border point in Morang and Jhulaghat border point in Baitadi, according to officials.

For the past few days, buses coming from India are witnessing huge rush, said customs chief Bhim Bahadur Chand at Jhulaghat border check point in western Nepal.

Similarly, Nepalese working in various Gulf countries are also returning home to take part in the democratic exercise. Constituent Assembly election is a long-cherished dream of Nepal. King Tribhuvan, grandfather of Gyanendra, who took asylum in India in 1950 when Nepali Congress party launched a pro-democracy movement by ending the hereditary Rana regime, had promised to hold the constituent assembly poll to draft a democratic constitution.

But that could never happen and his son Mahendra sacked the first elected Prime Minister, B. P. Koirala of Nepali Congress, and imposed party-less system by banning all political parties. Following the April 2006 pro-democracy movement, Nepalese have attained the right to frame their own constitution after 58 years of struggle.

The constituent assembly was the main demand of Nepal's seven main political parties and the communists, who teamed up and orchestrated weeks of protests and unrest that resulted in King Gyanendra giving up dictatorial powers he had seized the year before.

Source : PTI