Veteran Politicians Set for Third Electoral Showdown in Parbat

Pokhara. Arjun Joshi, an experienced and veteran leader, has been elected as a Member of Parliament from Parbat three times. The parliamentary elections since 2056 (Bikram Sambat) were under his control. Joshi, a leader of the Nepali Congress, is known for frequently shifting factions within the party. Joshi's unbeaten streak, after reigning supreme three times, was broken when Padam Giri of CPN-UML presented himself as a candidate.

Joshi secured victories in the 2056, 2064, and 2070 elections. In the 2074 and 2079 elections, Padam defeated Arjun to emerge victorious. Padam is a figure who rose from student politics and quickly gained influence in parliamentary politics.

Arjun Joshi and Padam Giri have now become well-known rivals in Parbat's politics. Their third encounter is confirmed for the election scheduled on Falgun 21. Both leaders hold strong influence within their respective parties. Joshi has long held sway at the central level of the party, while Giri has established influence from the district chairman level up to the central level. Interestingly, when Arjun was elected as a Member of Parliament for the second time, Padam was still active in student politics at PN Campus. He was the Student Union Chairman of Prithvi Narayan Campus in 2062 (Bikram Sambat). Joshi was elected MP for the second time in the 2064 election.

Joshi entered politics following the legacy of his father, Amrit Joshi. He established himself through 'legacy' politics. Padam, born into an ordinary family, is a 'self-made' leader who rose through student command structures. However, currently, both are tested figures in Parbat.

As much influence as they command within their parties, they have also earned opponents. Their rivalry has fueled factional politics. The very factions they nurtured are now proving burdensome to them. Criticism against both leaders is intensifying, citing repeated opportunities given to them. Regardless, in Parbat, which is traditionally an area of influence for the Congress and CML, the main competition is certain to be between these two.

Moreover, seventeen candidates have registered nominations from Parbat for the upcoming election. The CPN (Communist Party of Nepal) has nominated Manhari Timilsina, who entered politics after a long career in journalism, while Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has also fielded a candidate based on alternative politics. Sagar Bhusal is the RSP candidate.

Manhari of the CPN was hardened in politics after actively participating in the People's War. Becoming a full-time worker for the Maoists since 2057 (Bikram Sambat), he served as an assistant commander of a squad unit and a member of the village people's government during the People's War. He was detained and tortured by the Nepal Army from 2058 to 2059 (Bikram Sambat) and served as the press coordinator for the then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' from 2072 to 2073 (Bikram Sambat).

Sagar of the RSP is the party's district secretary. He returned to Nepal after working abroad for a long time and plunged into alternative politics.

Parbat Election Track Record

Padam has been elected in the last two elections. His closest competitor is Arjun. However, Padam's existing vote bank is on a declining trend. The margin by which Padam defeated Arjun in 2074 (Bikram Sambat) was 12,456 votes, which shrunk to just 2,263 votes in the 2079 election. In 2074, Padam received 39,275 votes, while Arjun got 26,819 votes.

In the last election, Padam garnered 29,872 votes, and Arjun received 27,006 votes. In 2074, CPN-UML and Maoist were united, whereas in 2079, there was an alliance between the Congress and the Maoists. Currently, the CPN has been formed by merging the former Maoists with the CPN (Unified Socialist) and about a dozen other components, and they have their own candidate, Manhari. Due to being new and having missed opportunities, there is sympathy towards him.

RSP's Sagar is also campaigning, seeking votes for a new party, arguing that the old parties have failed to deliver. Therefore, it is uncertain who will win the competition. Nevertheless, the general assessment is that the competition will be fiercest between the traditional Congress and CPN-UML.