Electoral History and Current Dynamics of Kaski-2: A Look at Shifting Political Fortunes

Pokhara. In the 2043 BS National Panchayat elections, due to the ban on political parties, communist leaders contested as independents. However, only 5 communist party members were elected from across the country. Among these five fortunate individuals was Somnath Adhikari (Pyasi) from Kaski.

Adhikari campaigned against the Panchayat system while serving in the National Panchayat. Adhikari winning the election in Kaski was no small feat. Pyasi, who won the election with a massive mandate during the peak of the Panchayat era, remains politically active to this day. Recently, he assumed office after being appointed as the Chief of Koshi Province.

The CPN (UML) faction in Kaski Constituency-2 claims to have been organized by the founder of the Communist Party of Nepal, Pushpa Lal Shrestha. UML leader Jhapat Ranabhat states that Pushpa Lal established UML's standing in Kaski-2.

“We have heard that Pushpa Lal spent a long time in this area. Looking at the results so far, it seems that is true,” he said. “Otherwise, when communists won only 5 seats nationwide, Kaski-2 probably wouldn't have been among them.”

UML has won all elections in this area except during times of party division. In 2048 BS, Tul Bahadur Gurung won the election by securing more than 50 percent of the votes cast. Out of 76,720 voters, 64 percent cast their ballots. Out of 47,129 valid votes, Gurung received 24,034 votes.

Shukra Raj Sharma of the Nepali Congress, who came in second, received 21,311 votes, while Ganesh Sherchan of the RPP received 1,767 votes. Other parties had no significant presence here. In 2051 BS, Tul Bahadur Gurung won again, but his vote count decreased by nearly 2,000 compared to the previous election. Gurung secured 22,377 votes out of a total valid vote count of 50,353. The Congress's Sharma saw an even greater drop in votes, receiving 18,663 votes. The RPP's vote share looked quite strong in that election. Surya Bahadur KC of the RPP received 8,568 votes. He later joined the Congress.

In the 2056 BS election, Congress's Mahadev Gurung moved from Kaski-3 to Constituency-2. As the election was held during a period of party division, UML's Tul Bahadur was defeated by Congress's Mahadev. Mahadev received 26,443 votes, while Tul Bahadur was reduced to 22,126 votes. Herka Pun of CPN (UML) received 2,960 votes, and Ram Bahadur Bhandari of the RPP received only 2,691 votes.

In 2064 BS, Kaski was divided into four constituencies. Most of the geography of the current Constituency-2 fell under Constituency-3 at that time. Rabindra Adhikari of UML was victorious then. While CPN (Maoist) won all three constituencies in Kaski, UML maintained dominance in Constituency-3. Adhikari received 13,386 votes, while Jhalakpani Tiwari of the Maoist received 10,926 votes. Binda Devi Ranamagar of Congress, who came in third, received 9,041 votes. Other parties could not even cross 1,000 votes.

In 2070 BS, the election for Constituency-3 also went to Rabindra. He secured 13,110 votes, while Soviet Adhikari of the Congress came second with 10,808 votes. Ramji Baral of the Maoist received only 4,431 votes. No other party crossed the 1,000-vote mark.

In 2074 BS, the old constituency structure returned. Kaski was reduced from four constituencies to three. Once again, Adhikari achieved a hat-trick from here. Adhikari won with 27,207 votes, while Congress's Devraj Chalise was reduced to 18,661 votes. After Adhikari's death in a helicopter crash, a by-election was held here. In the by-election, Adhikari's wife, Bidya Bhattarai, was victorious, but she could not match the vote count Adhikari had secured. Bidya received 24,394 votes, while her competitor, Khemraj Poudel of the Congress, received 15,991 votes.

By the 2079 BS election, UML had lost its vote share significantly. Bidya Bhattarai, contesting for the second time, barely managed 16,998 votes. The RSP candidate came second in this constituency. Madhav Kandel received 12,495 votes, while the candidate from the alliance of Congress, Maoist, and Unified Socialist, Shreenath Baral, could only secure 9,659 votes. RSP's Suvarna Pant received 3,993 votes, and Congress leader Mahadev Gurung, who contested against the alliance, received 1,340 votes.

Many speculate that the votes of the supporting parties, excluding the alliance candidate, went to the RSP due to the alliance. However, the RSP's vote was not just dissatisfaction over ticket distribution but also a vote for change. In the proportional representation category, RSP became the first party from this constituency. RSP received 14,002 votes, while UML received 13,540 and Congress received 10,553 votes. RPP received 4,463, Maoist 2,404, and Unified Socialist 1,177 votes.

UML has changed its candidate this time. Rashmi Acharya from Bharatpokhari has received the ticket from UML. Rashmi, who previously served as the student union chairman of Prithvi Narayan Campus, is popular among the youth. He faces a significant challenge in preserving the legacy UML has inherited in this area. Hem Bahadur Thapa (Kiran) of the CPN, who is also contesting from the same area, is Rashmi's biggest hurdle. Bharatpokhari, Nirmalpokhari, Kritis, and surrounding areas are strongholds for both Thapa and Rashmi. Their competition might benefit another party. Kiran is also a person who served as a combatant commander during the People's War. He has made significant contributions to party organization expansion. However, he sided with Baburam Bhattarai during the Maoist split. He recently returned to the Maoist party.

Madhav Prasad Bastola (Madhu), a leader known for his simplicity in the Nepali Congress, has filed his candidacy. He is from Phulbari, Pokhara-11, which might cause problems for Rashmi in securing votes from the upper areas. Madhav is an active leader in the Congress organization. A former ward chairman, he was involved in an accident while returning after attending the Congress General Convention in 2067 BS. He survived the accident that claimed the lives of four other companions.

In this constituency, RSP's Uttam Poudel poses a challenge to the top three parties. Poudel, who entered politics alongside Rabi Lamichhane from the media sector, is currently a strong competitor for Kaski-2. He relies on the support of voters due to his family ties within the Gurung community. Furthermore, the RPP has fielded its Central Vice-Chairman Hemjung Gurung. He is also aiming for victory, but his organized vote base is declining, posing a challenge.