Voter Apathy Rises in Dhanusha-2 as Election Day Nears Amid Unmet Promises

Janakpurdham. As the date for the House of Representatives election approaches, there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm among voters in Dhanusha-2. Although candidates from various parties are intensifying their meetings with constituents, local residents appear largely uninterested.

Local residents state that their enthusiasm for the election is waning because those elected in the past have failed to address the fundamental problems of the people.

Siya Sada, 60, from Kaptoul in Dhanusha-2, said that those she voted for in the past have done nothing to improve the living standards of the people. “After we voted them in, no one tried to understand our problems. Whoever we elected betrayed us,” she said. “There has been no development work. After winning, they never returned even once to check on our condition.”

She lives in a makeshift shelter by the roadside and has four daughters and one son. She mentioned that her husband has gone to India for employment, hoping for a better future for their children.

Another voter, 63-year-old Ramchandra Sah, also points to the lack of guaranteed development in the village and neighborhood. “They give various assurances during election time,” he said. “Once we cast our votes, no leader has the time to think about our problems.”

Sah shared the plight of farmers suffering due to irrigation shortages. “During the elections, leaders promised to dig tube wells and provide irrigation facilities,” he said. “But now, they say tube well facilities are only available for those with at least two bighas of land! I have 10 katthas of land; where will I get the rest?”

Sah also complained that leaders favor their relatives when distributing subsidies meant for farmers. “They send ordinary people like us back, saying this document is missing or that document is missing,” he said. “Leaders' relatives don't need any documents.”

Shyam Sah from Aurahi is also fed up with the promises made by leaders just before the election. “They come here making promises and asking for votes, but after we vote, they don't have the leisure to check on our condition or listen to us,” he said.

Sah lamented the lack of basic facilities like health and education, stating that the future of the youth is bleak. “The lives of our village siblings are in darkness. Leaders' children study in big schools and abroad. The future of our children is being gambled with,” he said. “We youth are united. It is time for voters to change their mindset too.”

Rampari Malik and Shyam Malik, who earn a living by making bamboo products all day, don't even know when the election is. They complain that they don't have time due to their daily work for livelihood. “Even working all day, it's hard to arrange two meals a day,” Shyam Malik said. “What's the use of elections happening anytime? Our situation is not going to improve.”

He mentioned the lack of roads, drains, and sanitation, adding that due to having little land, both livestock and people are forced to live in the same space. He stated that their income does not match their hard work.

Agriculture is the main occupation for most residents in this constituency. In recent years, the menace of wild animals, especially wild boars, has increased. Farmers say that the production of staple crops like paddy and wheat has decreased due to a lack of irrigation.

Residents of Ward No. 3 of Shahidnagar Municipality complain that no development work has been done except for roads. Even some existing roads are dilapidated and unmanaged. They state that although physical structures in the education and health sectors have changed, the quality of service has not improved.

Sarita Devi, a resident of Kamala Municipality, says there are many problems in society. She states that young people are getting addicted to drugs, and education and health facilities are inadequate.

Voters show little enthusiasm for the upcoming election because past elected representatives failed to deliver the expected work. Candidates, however, are busy with door-to-door campaigning and election programs.

In the 2079 election, Ram Krishna Yadav of the Nepali Congress won from Dhanusha Constituency No. 2. He secured 20,112 votes, while his closest competitor, Umashankar Argariya of CPN-UML, received 19,955 votes.

Based on past election results, established parties appear strong in this constituency, but the visible dissatisfaction among the public clearly presents a challenge to them.

Dhanusha-2 comprises 44 wards across seven local levels. This area includes 9 wards of Kamala Municipality, 6 wards of Janaknandani Rural Municipality, 6 wards of Aurahi Rural Municipality, Wards 1 to 8 of Bideha Municipality, 9 wards of Shahidnagar Municipality, Wards 1, 4, 6, and 9 of Hanspur Municipality, and Wards 17 and 18 of Janakpurdham Metropolitan City.

This time, candidates contesting from Dhanusha-2 include Dinesh Parsaila Yadav of the Nepali Congress, Umashankar Argariya of CPN-UML, Ramchandra Jha of the Communist Party of Nepal, Pashupati Yadav of the Janata Samajbadi Party, and Ram Binod Sah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, among others.