Nineteen Candidates Vie for House of Representatives Seat in Kanchanpur-1 Amid Voter Skepticism

Dhangadhi. Nineteen candidates, representing various political parties and independents, are in the fray for the House of Representatives election in Kanchanpur Constituency Number 1. They are busy campaigning door-to-door, promising to address all local issues. However, voters are skeptical, noting that similar promises were made in past elections, leading them to view the candidates' pledges merely as assurances.

Residents here have been facing problems in the agricultural sector for years. Voters are preparing to choose a candidate based on performance, claiming that those elected previously did nothing. "We will vote based on how others vote. We elected them before, but saw no work done. They only come to the village during elections, disappear the rest of the time, never showing their faces. That's why we are thinking of changing our vote this time," shared 67-year-old Bhawani Bohara from Belauri Municipality-4.

According to voters, leaders usually promise to resolve border issues, improve roads, and work on agriculture and drinking water before elections. Ramsingh Wadayak, 45, from Laljhandi Rural Municipality-3, stated he would vote for someone who closely observes the local problems. "I will vote for the person who knows the local issues here, who observes the problems of this area closely," he said.

Bina Magar began her political journey in the 2070 BS Constituent Assembly election, where she was defeated by an UML candidate. However, the 2074 BS election became her golden time. With the wave of the Left Alliance and the support of the UML, she secured a massive victory and became the Minister for Drinking Water, reaching the center of power.

Times did not remain constant. In the 2079 BS election, Bina Magar was defeated despite strong support from the Nepali Congress and the Unified Socialist Party. Her opponent was Tara Lama Tamang, who was her ally in 2074 BS. Having lost by a margin of 5,546 votes, the pain of that defeat still lingers for Bina.

She is now in the electoral arena for the fourth time, but her identity has changed. This time, she is the joint candidate of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), an alliance comprising the Maoists, the Unified Socialist Party, and leaders close to Bhim Rawal. For Bina, who grew up in this area which is also her maternal village, this fight is emotional. But how easy will it be to secure a victory this time when the Congress, whose support she had previously, is now her competitor? This question is likely keeping Bina awake at night.

Tara Lama Tamang's story is slightly different. He does not come from a major political dynasty. Tamang emerged in the political scene by winning the election for the chairman of the then Kalika VDC at the young age of 24 in 2054 BS, and he long held district leadership roles in the UML.

After being elected as a Provincial Assembly member from the Provincial Assembly (1) in 2074 BS, he also served as the Minister for Economic Affairs in the Sudurpashchim government.

Having openly joined the Unified Socialist Party during the UML split, only to return to the UML later, he surprised everyone by defeating Bina Magar, the joint candidate of the alliance, in the 2079 BS House of Representatives election. Tamang, who won with 24,892 votes, is in the field again this time as the sole UML candidate. He appears confident of repeating his past victory.

Bina and Tara are not the only players in this election. The Nepali Congress and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) are also gearing up to make this a triangular or multi-cornered contest. Congress cadres, who felt stifled in 2079 BS due to the alliance leaving them without a candidate, are enthusiastic this time. Gopi Prasad Upadhyay is in the field representing the Congress. Upadhyay, who entered the villages with the slogan of justice, equality, and inclusive development, has a good local image. The votes he garners will determine whether Bina or Tara gains the upper hand.

On the other hand, Janak Singh Dhami of the rising power, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is also in the electoral race. He is aiming to convert social connections into votes by capitalizing on the public's disillusionment with the older parties.

Based on the proportional representation votes from 2079 BS, the contest here looks very interesting. UML secured 17,954 votes, while Congress was the second force with 14,806 votes. CPN (Maoist Centre) has 9,677 votes, and the Nagarik Unmukti Party has 7,430 votes.

The data suggests that UML has a strong base vote, but Bina Magar's future depends on how many votes she can retain from the Maoists, Unified Socialists, and other smaller communist components. Even with 14,000 Congress votes going to Bina in the previous election, she lost. This time, Congress is in the field with its own candidate. If Congress manages to retain its 14,000 votes, it will be a challenge for Bina to win with only 9-10 thousand Maoist votes and a few thousand other votes.

Furthermore, the votes swayed from the Nagarik Unmukti Party's 7,000 and RSP's 4,000 votes will ultimately decide the winner and loser. Votes cut by candidates such as Krishna Bahadur Chaudhary (Nagarik Unmukti Party), Dilli Shahi (Rastriya Prajatantra Party), and Devendra Bahadur Shahi (Pragatishil Loktantrik Party - Prolopa) will affect the main competitors.

Additionally, independent candidates like Anil Rana, Manjudevi Sunar, and even Biplav's Puran Rana Tharu have made their presence felt here, and they are expected to garner some votes.