Nepal's revolutionary leader loses his appeal as nation limps to the polls

An official checks the ballot boxes before they are distributed to the polling stations at District Development Committee Office in Kathmandu November 17, 2013. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

CHAPAGAUN, Nepal (Reuters) - - Widow Narayan Kumari Ghimire has lost faith in Nepal's powerful Maoists: the only reason they will get her vote in Tuesday's election is because her son died fighting for them during the insurrection that ended seven years ago.

For Ghimire, 62, the one-time guerrillas have turned out to be no better than the rest of Nepal's grasping and ever-bickering politicians since they took off their red bandanas, gave up arms and tasted power in a 2008 election.