Dailekh's political bonanza: Three ministers from one district in Karnali govt

Surkhet: The Karnali Province government has appointed three ministers from a single district—Dailekh. Members of the provincial assembly elected under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system from Dailekh Constituencies 2 (1) and 2 (2) have become ministers, along with one assembly member elected under the proportional representation system, also from the same constituency.

Ghanshyam Bhandari, a provincial assembly member from Dailekh Constituency No. 2 (1), Binod Kumar Shah from 2 (2), and Gamta BK from 2 (2) have been appointed as ministers. Bhandari and Shah were directly elected, while BK became a provincial assembly member through proportional representation.

All three are part of the government led by Yamalal Kandel. Bhandari assumed the role of Minister of Social Development only on Sunday, while Shah has been serving as the Minister of Lands, Management, Agriculture, and Cooperatives since June. BK is the Minister of State for Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, having taken her oath as Minister of State in May. Bhandari represents the Nepali Congress, while Shah and BK are from the UML.

Sources indicate that Chief Minister Kandel appointed BK as a state minister to ensure women's participation in the government. BK, who has only basic education, is from Aathbish Municipality-1 in West Dailekh. Chief Minister Kandel retained the Ministry of Law for himself and appointed BK as Minister of State. Out of the six members from Dailekh in the provincial assembly, three have been appointed as ministers in the current government.

Some leaders suggest that Agriculture Minister Shah's constituency is the same as BK's, and that Kandel's promotion of BK may be intended to undermine Shah. Within the UML in Karnali, there is a factional rivalry between Kandel and Shah. Although Shah was appointed in May, he initially refused to take the oath due to disagreements with Kandel. He was eventually compelled to accept the ministry in June after receiving no support from the party center.

While it is seen as a positive development for Dailekh-2 to have several ministers, given its underdevelopment, the impact on the region's development and prosperity remains to be seen. Bhandari and Shah, who hold significant ministerial positions, have a notable political history. Shah previously served as finance minister for a few months when Rajkumar Sharma was the CM and as a deputy minister during King Gyanendra’s direct rule. Bhandari, a young leader, has previously served as the Mayor of Dullu Municipality and is well-regarded among the youth.