Twelve Women Candidates from CPN-UML Contest in Upcoming House of Representatives Election

Twelve women candidates from the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML) are contesting in the House of Representatives election scheduled for February 21 (Falgun 21). Among the twelve competing candidates, Menka Bhandari in Kathmandu-1, Kalpana Sharma in Kathmandu-5, and Punamdevi Yadav in Rautahat-3 are new faces.

Interesting contests are anticipated in Chitwan-3, Kathmandu-1, Kathmandu-5, Kathmandu-10, and Manang-1 where these candidates have filed nominations. In Chitwan-3, Renu Dahal, daughter of CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', is in the electoral arena. She is being challenged by RSP's prominent speaker, Sobita Gautam.

Menka Bhandari, contesting for the first time in the House of Representatives election, is being challenged by RSP's Ranju Darshana, who is also contesting for the first time in the House of Representatives. In Manang-1, Yashoda Subedi, a standing committee member of the former CPN (Maoist Centre) and wife of former General Secretary Dev Gurung, who has been a proportional representation MP twice, is facing Tek Bahadur Gurung, the joint candidate of the Congress-UML alliance.

Jhapa-2

Dharmashila Chapagai is an influential woman from the former CPN (Maoist Centre). She was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly from Jhapa-4 in the 2064 election. In the 2074 election, Chapagai also sought a direct candidacy but was deprived of candidacy due to the alliance with UML. This time, she is competing against Congress's Sarita Prasai, UML's Devraj Ghimire, and RSP's Indira Rana Magar. Ghimire is a former Speaker, and Rana is a former Deputy Speaker.

Apart from these, candidates including Keshav Kumar Bhandari from Shram Sanskriti Party and Chuda Karna Megha from Ujyalo Nepal Party are also in the electoral field. In the 2079 election, UML candidate Ghimire won from this constituency. Ghimire won by securing 28,716 votes, while his closest competitor, independent candidate Bhadra Prasad (Swagat) Nepal, received 26,455 votes. Hari Kumar Rana Magar of the Maoist Centre received 13,930 votes. Rudra Prasad Giri of RSP received 8,781 votes. Nepal is now a candidate from RPP. There is talk that the influence of RSP senior leader Balen Shah, who is contesting from Jhapa-5, could affect all constituencies in Jhapa.

Sankhuwasabha

Sarita Thapa Khadka, who joined CPN (Unified Socialist) during the party unification, has filed her candidacy from Sankhuwasabha, the only electoral constituency here this time. She was the Koshi Province Chair of the former Unified Socialist and was a proportional representation member of the Provincial Assembly in 2074. She was defeated in Sankhuwasabha 1 (1) in the 2079 election. In this constituency, Congress's Deepak Khadka was victorious in the previous election. Khadka, who served as the Minister of Energy in the Oli government during the CPN (Maoist Centre) rebellion, did not receive a ticket from Congress this time.

Gagan Thapa, elected as president through the special general convention, has given the ticket to Deepak Kumar Shrestha. Arjun Kumar Karki from UML is in the field. RSP has nominated Mingma Sherpa.

In the previous election, Congress candidate Khadka was elected by securing 32,161 votes. His closest competitor, Rajendra Gautam of UML, received 26,721 votes. Bhaktanarayan Shrestha of RSP received 1,136 votes.

Sunsari-2

Ram Kumari Chaudhary, who was a member of the Constituent Assembly from the Maoist Centre in 2070, is contesting directly this time. UML's Sujan Lama, Congress's Rajiv Koirala, and RSP's Lal Bikram Thapa are in the electoral field.

In the previous election, former Chief Minister Bhim Prasad Acharya won from this constituency by securing 32,024 votes. His closest competitor, Sita Ram Mahato of Congress, received 26,068 votes. Mahato was supported by the Maoist Centre at that time. RSP's Lal Bikram Thapa received 19,391 votes.

Saptari-4

Ruby Kumari Karna, who was elected as a Provincial Assembly member from Maoist Centre in 2074, is a direct candidate from CPN this time. Contesting in this constituency are UML's Ganga Prasad Chaudhary, Congress's Teju Lal Chaudhary, JSP Nepal's Babhi Singh, and RSP's Sitaram Sah.

In the 2079 election, Congress's Teju Lal Chaudhary won by securing 23,491 votes. His closest competitor, JSP Nepal's candidate Balkishore Yadav, received 17,977 votes. Kushdesh Sah of Janamat Party received 12,925 votes.

Rautahat-3

Punam Devi Yadav, active in social activities, is the CPN candidate in Rautahat-3. Popular in Rautahat, she is competing this time against UML's Kundan Prasad Kushwaha, Congress's Ramkripal Prasad Yadav, RSP's Rabindra Patel, JSP Nepal's Govinda Chaudhary, and Janamat Party's Sheikh Parwez Alam. The previous winner, Prabhu Sah, is contesting from the Aam Janata Party.

In the 2079 election, Sah won by securing 32,437 votes. His closest competitor, independent candidate Omprakash, received 25,200 votes. Ravindra Patel of the Maoist Centre received 8,558 votes; he is now a candidate from RSP.

Kathmandu-1

Menka Bhandari (Kritu), the CPN candidate for Kathmandu-1, is a new face. Contesting under the quota of the Unified Socialist, she will compete against RSP's famous face Ranju Darshana, RPP's Rabindra Mishra, among others. Prakash Man Singh, who has consistently won elections from this constituency, did not receive a ticket from Congress this time. Congress has fielded a new face, Prabhal Thapa Chhetri. UML has also nominated a new face, Mohan Raj Regmi.

In the 2079 election, Congress's Singh won with 7,143 votes. His closest competitor, RPP's Mishra, received 7,018 votes. RSP's Pukar Bam received 4,115 votes. UML's Kiran Paudel received 3,532 votes. Ramesh Kharel of Nepal Sushasan Party received 3,124 votes.

Kathmandu-5

Advocate Kalpana Sharma has been nominated by CPN for Kathmandu-5. Sharma, contesting in an election for the first time, is competing against Congress General Secretary Pradeep Paudel and former UML Senior Vice-Chairman Ishwar Pokharel.

In the previous election in this constituency, Congress's Paudel won by securing 15,269 votes. His closest competitor, UML's Pokharel, received 10,190 votes. RSP's Dr. Pranay Shamsher Rana received 5,477 votes.

Kathmandu-10

The election in Kathmandu-10 is expected to be interesting as Congress's Rajendra Kumar KC, a three-time election winner, has stepped aside this time.

CPN has nominated Rupa Maharjan for this constituency. Initially, Hitman Shakya, who was also the in-charge of the former Maoist Centre for Bagmati Province, was nominated. However, at the last moment, the party gave the ticket to Maharjan, a member of the Constituent Assembly from 2064. In the electoral field, she will compete against UML's Binod Shrestha and Congress's Himal Karki. Congress candidate Karki is burdened with the task of preserving the legacy of the senior KC.

RSP has continued with District Chairman Pradip Bisht for this constituency. In the previous election, Congress candidate KC won with 14,463 votes. His closest competitor, UML's Himesh KC, received 11,791 votes. RSP's Bisht received 8,739 votes. RPP's Balram Thapa received 6,959 votes, and Maoist's Anjana Bishankhe received 5,265 votes.

Chitwan-3

Compared to other constituencies, attention is high on Chitwan-3. Renu Dahal, the outgoing Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, is the candidate from the CPN (Maoist Centre). Dahal is competing against RSP's Sobita Gautam. Dahal is a candidate proven by her 9 years of service as Mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2065. She was defeated in Kathmandu-1 in 2070.

Gautam is the MP elected from Kathmandu-2 in the previous election. A legal expert, she is known as a prominent speaker. A tough contest is anticipated between Gautam, the daughter-in-law of Chitwan, and Dahal, the daughter. UML has fielded Shankar Raj Thapaliya and Congress has fielded Tek Prasad Gurung in this constituency. The competition is expected to be more interesting as the previous election winner, Vikram Pandey of RPP, is out of the electoral field this time. RPP has nominated Deepak Thapa Magar.

In the 2079 election, Pandey won by securing 35,060 votes. His closest competitor, Dr. Bhojraj Adhikari of the Maoist Centre, received 25,824 votes. At that time, UML had an alliance with RPP and Congress had an alliance with the Maoist Centre. RSP candidate Jita Baral received 14,843 votes. In the previous election, Congress's Dinesh Koirala contested as a rebel, causing Adhikari's defeat. Koirala received 12,275 votes.

RSP received approximately 15,000 votes in direct candidacy, while proportional representation votes reached 28,401. This fact shows that the party is more popular than the candidate. RPP is in second place with 16,755 proportional representation votes. Election results show that the Maoist Centre has a good vote bank in Chitwan-3, securing 16,080 votes for the third position. UML is in fourth place with 14,522 votes, Congress in fifth with 10,524, and Unified Socialist received 1,085 votes.

Manang

Yashoda Subedi Gurung, a standing committee member of the former CPN (Maoist Centre), is contesting from Manang for the first time. It seems very difficult for Subedi to win in Manang, which is also the home district of her husband, Dev Gurung.

Subedi will have to work very hard to win as the main competitors, Tek Bahadur Gurung of Congress and Polden Chhopang Gurung of UML, have formed an electoral alliance. After the draw went in favor of Congress in the presence of Lamas (monks) on January 28 (Magh 9), UML withdrew its candidacy. Previously, both candidates had won the election once each.

Although RSP nominated Anil Gurung, he did not register his candidacy. RPP's Kubir Singh Gurung has also withdrawn his candidacy. Ram Bahadur Ghale of Mongol National Organisation has also filed a candidacy in Manang.

In the previous election in Manang, Congress's Gurung won by securing 2,575 votes, while the UML candidate received 2,0247 votes. The RSP candidate received only five votes. The Maoist Centre supported Congress. At that time, the Maoist Centre received a total of 133 votes in the proportional representation category.

Nawalparasi West-1

Sindhu Jalesh Budhathoki, who left UML and joined CPN, is a candidate from Nawalparasi West-1. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2070. Competing against her are UML's Ram Prasad Pandey, Congress's Binod Kumar Chaudhary, and RSP's Bikram Khanal.

In the previous election in this constituency, Congress's Chaudhary won by securing 25,519 votes. The candidate from the Janata Pragatisheel Party Nepal, running under the UML symbol, Hridayesh Tripathi, received 22,328 votes. The Maoist Centre supported Congress. RSP received 12,499 votes.

Kanchanpur-1

Bina Magar, who was defeated in the previous election, has been nominated again by CPN. She was elected from the same constituency in 2074. Magar is the daughter-in-law of CPN (Maoist Centre) Chairman Prachanda. This time she is being challenged by UML candidate Tara Lama Tamang and Congress's Gopi Prasad Upadhyay. Janak Singh Dhami from RSP is in the electoral field.

In the 2079 election in this constituency, UML's Tara Lama Tamang won by securing 24,943 votes. His closest competitor, Magar of the Maoist Centre, received 19,400 votes. NUP candidate Nandan Kumar Rana received 8,685 votes, while RSP candidate Devraj Joshi received 1,909 votes.