Doti Faces Unprecedented Election as Deuba Steps Aside After 34 Years

Dhangadhi. The House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21 will be distinct for the voters of Dadeldhura compared to the past. For the last 34 years, Sher Bahadur Deuba and Dadeldhura were almost synonymous. Deuba has not only been a candidate in every election since 2048 BS but has also been continuously elected.

However, Deuba is not a candidate in the upcoming election. For the first time in 34 years, Dadeldhura is witnessing an election without Deuba.

The new leadership emerging from the special general convention of the Nepali Congress did not field Deuba as a candidate. After three and a half decades, the Nepali Congress has put forward Nain Singh Mahar, former president of the Nepal Student Union (NSU), as its new candidate in Dadeldhura. Deuba had established Dadeldhura as a stronghold for the Congress by being continuously elected. Whether his successor, Congress candidate Mahar, can uphold this legacy is a matter of great interest.

It is not that voters in Dadeldhura have no grievances against Deuba, who repeatedly reached positions of state and party power through continuous elections. Man Bahadur Malla of Ajmeru Rural Municipality-2 states that the overall development of the district has not been satisfactory.

'There was a hope that if Sher Bahadur Deuba became Prime Minister, he would build roads, schools, and look after the children of the poor,' he said, 'He hasn't been able to do anything so far.'

In Malla's view, Mahar, who has come as Deuba's successor, is unlikely to achieve much either. 'If Deuba couldn't get things done while being Prime Minister, what will Mahar do now?' he questioned.

Conversations with voters in Amargadhi, Parashuram Municipality, and Alital, Ajmeru, Navadurga, Bhageshwar, and Ganyapdhura rural municipalities show a divided public opinion. In this district, traditionally considered a Congress stronghold, voters appear to be looking for alternatives following Deuba's exit.

Shiv Mahata of Parashuram Municipality-8 is considering changing his vote this time. He believes that electing a general candidate from the same party will not bring much change to an area where development lagged even when Deuba represented them. 'Whether they win or lose, this time we will give a chance to someone new,' he said.

Hari Ojha of Amargadhi-1 shares a similar view. He also advocates for seeking alternatives to the old parties. Krishna Raj Bhatt of Jogbuda openly supports the idea of seeking alternatives to both Congress and UML.

The older generation of Congress voters is being pressured by their own children to change their votes. Tirtha Raj Bohara of Parashuram Municipality stated that he intends to keep his vote unchanged. However, he mentioned that his son, who lives in Kathmandu, calls and insists, 'Give it to someone new this time.'

A large segment of the voters does not seem overly attracted to new faces. Although Dadeldhura is considered a Congress bastion, Mahar's victory is not easy this time, not only due to the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) but also due to other parties. Thirteen candidates, including three independents, are in the electoral fray. Mahar faces stiff challenges from UML's Chakra Snehi, CPN's Mansingh Mal, and RSP's Tara Prasad Joshi.

Snehi of the UML, who has a strong hold in the Dalit community, is a former National Assembly member, while Mansingh Mal is a central member of the CPN. RSP's Tara Prasad Joshi could be the biggest headache for Congress's Mahar.

Joshi was previously a Provincial Assembly member of the Sudurpashchim Province. Joshi, who won the Dadeldhura Provincial Assembly '2' as an independent candidate, resigned to contest for the House of Representatives membership on behalf of the RSP.

Joshi, who is also the former chairman of UML Dadeldhura, has a good personal influence. He finished third in the 2070 BS Constituent Assembly election.

Despite any dissatisfaction, Dadeldhura district remains a base for the Congress. The attachment of the older generation of voters to the Congress has not yet broken. 73-year-old Asaram Pandey of Jogbuda asserted that he has trusted the same party for decades and his heart refuses to vote elsewhere.

Voters such as Jaman Singh Thapa Magar, Gopal Singh Dhami, Ram Bahadur Bohara, Man Bahadur Madai, Maya Gahmagar, and Kavita Rokamagari from Alital Rural Municipality are adamant about not changing their votes.

Haribahadur Rawal of Navadurga Rural Municipality-4 is also not in favor of seeking alternatives. 'I feel like giving them one last chance,' Rawal said, 'Some friends say we should give it to someone else this time, but my heart doesn't agree.'

Congress won in five out of seven rural municipalities in Dadeldhura in the 2079 BS local level elections. Nevertheless, the leadership change within the Congress following the special general convention has widened an emotional rift within the party. This means how Congress workers in Dadeldhura perceive Deuba's exit and the leadership change from the special general convention will determine whether Congress votes remain united or split.

Dadeldhura has a total of 93,403 voters. In the 2079 BS House of Representatives election here, Deuba was elected with 25,534 votes. Sagar Dhakal, who contested against Deuba, received 13,042 votes.

In the proportional representation category in the same election, the Nepali Congress received 18,562 votes, and the UML received 9,214 votes. Similarly, the then CPN (Maoist Centre) received 8,711 votes, and the Nepali Congress (BP) received 4,514 votes. The Rastriya Swatantra Party received 3,650 votes, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party received 1,513 votes, and the CPN (Unified Socialist) received 661 votes.