Intense Electoral Battle Looms in Siraha-2 Constituency with 29 Candidates Vying for the House of Representatives Seat

Kathmandu. Siraha Constituency No. 2 for the House of Representatives has 115,760 registered voters. In the upcoming House of Representatives election in this constituency, 29 candidates are competing, comprising candidates from 14 political parties, with the rest being independents.

A tough contest is anticipated here among the major parties: Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), JSP Nepal, Janamat Party, and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

This time, there appears to be a wave in favor of the RSP in the Madhesh region due to Balen Shah. On the other hand, the Janamat Party, which delivered an unexpected result in the Madhesh region in the previous election, is also in the fray. Furthermore, voters believe that the Rastriya Mukti Party led by Rajendra Mahato will also put up a strong fight here.

RSP has nominated Shiva Shankar Yadav as its candidate in Siraha-2. Shiva Shankar, who is also a leader of the Jan Andolan movement, is a familiar name in this constituency.

Shiva Shankar Yadav, who has been involved in social service through various social organizations, stated, 'It's not just about winning here; the main thing is by how many votes I win.' Asserting that the Madhesi people desire change and good governance, he claimed his party is strong on both these issues.

Yadav mentioned that the Madhesi public is enthusiastic because the RSP has proposed Balen Shah, a son of the Madhesh region, as their future Prime Minister.

JSP Nepal has fielded 39-year-old Sanjiv Kumar Yadav as its candidate in Siraha-2 this time. He was defeated in the last local election for the post of Deputy Mayor of Dhungadhimai Municipality. Party workers have expressed that enthusiasm has waned as JSP Nepal nominated a candidate who was defeated at the local level for the House of Representatives election. Nevertheless, student leader Vivek Das of JSP Nepal claimed that despite a weak candidate, the party has a strong organization, giving them a chance to win.

He said, 'JSP Nepal has the best organization in Siraha-2; if votes come based on organization alone, Sanjiv ji will win.' JSP Nepal has won three out of the five municipalities in that constituency. Based on the votes received at the local level, JSP Nepal appears strongest in that area.

• Congress Worried About Internal Sabotage

Nepali Congress also has a strong organization in Siraha-2. Ramchandra Yadav received the ticket from the Congress. It seems Congress will benefit from the perceived weakness of the candidates from UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and JSP Nepal. Ramchandra Yadav, the Congress candidate, is a well-known leader in the area. Therefore, he is a strong candidate, although it is assessed that the RSP will give him stiff competition.

Congress candidate Ramchandra Yadav is concerned about factionalism within the party. Yadav belongs to the faction led by General Secretary Gagan Thapa. There was talk that he was defeated in the last election because he did not support Chitra Lekha Yadav. It appears that whether the leaders and workers from Chitra Lekha Yadav's team support him now will also influence the result.

Local Congress leader Shyam Sundar Yadav said, 'In the Congress formed after the special general convention, there are no more factions. Since everyone is united for the election, Ramchandra Yadav will have everyone's support from within the party.'

• Nabin Concerned About Oli's Remarks

UML won two municipalities in that constituency in the local level elections. UML also secured good votes in other wards. For the House of Representatives election, UML has nominated 51-year-old Navin Kumar Yadav. Workers complain that although he has been active in UML for a long time, he is not a familiar face at the local level. Journalist Royantal Mandal suggests that if UML's organization supports him, Navin Yadav could also be a strong competitor.

However, voters are angry due to the statements made by UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Secretary Mahesh Basnet. The statements made by both leaders targeting Balen have upset the Madhesi public. Many believe this could negatively affect Navin.

There is also factionalism within UML. There is a rift between Deputy General Secretary Raghubir Mahaseth and Madhesh Province In-charge Lila Shrestha. Navin Kumar Yadav secured the ticket through Lila Shrestha. In that situation, there is apprehension that leaders and workers from Raghubir Mahaseth's faction might not offer support.

CPN-UML leader Ramautar Yadav has a strong base in Siraha-2. He was elected Mayor of Sukhipur Municipality twice. He belongs to the Raghubir Mahaseth faction. Local UML workers say that whether he supports Navin Yadav will also greatly influence the result.

In the local elections, Congress's Ramchandra Yadav had supported Ramautar Yadav. There is an equal discussion this time that Ramautar Yadav will support Ramchandra Yadav.

In terms of organization, the CPN (Maoist Centre) also has a good influence in this area. In 2074 BS, the then CPN (Maoist Centre) (now CPN) won the election here and also captured some municipalities. In 2079 BS, there was an alliance between Congress and Maoist Centre. Even when the then Maoist Centre supported Congress, the Congress candidate was defeated.

This time, CPN (Maoist Centre) has nominated Mukti Narayan Singh. He is new to this constituency. It is being analyzed that it will be difficult for him to win the trust of the voters as he is not a famous face. However, CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Jivach Yadav said, 'Although he is new to the constituency, Mukti Narayan Singh is an old leader of the organization. He has been involved with the Maoist Centre since the underground period. He is also a member of a martyr's family.'

Jivach Yadav claims that the organization has become stronger because the Maoist Centre has formed the CPN by uniting various parties.

Janamat Party's Binod Yadav stated that he is a strong contender. In the 2079 election, he came third, securing 16,902 votes. He said, 'The Janamat Party did not have much organization in this constituency during the last election. Now we have organizations in every ward. Even though I lost the election, in the interim, I have done more work in this area than a single Member of Parliament.'

He claims that he will be elected based on this work.

Kaushal Kumar Singh, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Rastriya Mukti Party, is a candidate in Siraha-2. He stated that although there is a lot of external talk favoring the RSP, there is no major wave for it in Siraha-2. He said, 'The talk about RSP is mostly on social media. It does not have votes here. Voting for change will be in my favor.'

The journalist, who is also a leader, has been working for the backward classes. He has strongly raised the issues of backward classes in the region. He is the joint candidate of the Nagarik Unmukti Party, Rastriya Mukti Party, and Janata Samajbadi Party.