Banke Candidates Reiterate Old Agendas for Upcoming House of Representatives Election

Nepalgunj. Candidates in Banke for the House of Representatives election scheduled for the upcoming Falgun 21 have reiterated their old agendas. Most candidates from major political parties contesting the election are new faces, with a few exceptions.

In Constituency No. 2 of the district this time, Sudhanshu Koirala, Secretary of the Nepali Congress, and Dipendra Bisht of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) are new faces, while Ishtiyak Rai is the candidate from the Communist Party of Nepal (UML). He is also a former minister. 

Bibek Kumar Shrestha from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Rishiraj Devkota from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) are also new faces. In the 2079 election, RPP leader Dhaulashamsher Rana was elected from Constituency No. 2. 

Similarly, in Banke's Constituency No. 1, Narayan Gaudel, President of the Nepali Congress Banke, is a new candidate, while Surya Dhakal from the UML is an old candidate. Narendra Pandey (James) is a new face from the Communist Party of Nepal. 

In Constituency No. 3 of the district, Amar Singh Pun from the Nepali Congress, Suman Malla from the UML, and Khagendra Nepali from the RSP are new faces. The major political parties—Congress, UML, and CPN (Maoist Centre)—have stated that they will prioritize works not done in past elections in the district and seek sustainable solutions.

They have stated, "Once the work to fulfill the basic needs of the people is completed, it can embrace change."

UML candidate Rai argued that he must win to complete the remaining tasks, claiming that development and tourism promotion in the area occurred under his leadership after winning previous elections. He noted that while Vheri Hospital in Nepalgunj was designated as a specialized hospital, modernization of education has not been implemented.

Rai stated, "Upgrading Mahendra Multiple Campus, development and promotion of tourism infrastructure, and radical change in the agricultural sector are the current necessities." He further mentioned pending tasks such as constructing an industrial corridor, a cricket stadium, establishing a dry port, and completing youth employment programs. Candidate Rai also stated the need to construct embankments to save settlements along the Rapti River bank and prevent soil erosion.

CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Bisht emphasized drainage and infrastructure development in Nepalgunj, stating the necessity to modernize Madrasa education. He mentioned the establishment of an 'Industrial Village' for industrial area development and committed to developing Nepalgunj as an IT and innovation hub.

"There is a big problem of drug abuse in this area; emphasis must be placed on creating a special mechanism to control it," Bisht said. Emphasizing that the essence of the Gen-Z movement is a corruption-free society and good governance, he stated that initiatives would be taken to find a sustainable solution by stopping the erosion caused by the Rapti River in Dudhwa.

Congress candidate Koirala from Constituency No. 2 mentioned that the public expects a prosperous society along with good governance, and upon being elected, he committed to working towards a corruption-free society according to the people's aspirations. Addressing the public complaint that elected representatives do not visit villages after being elected, he assured that he would work closely with the people.

Candidate Koirala informed that the party has changed its policy and leadership following the Gen-Z movement and stated efforts would be made to establish politics of integrity. He mentioned that the problem of fertilizer in Constituency No. 2 would be solved by forming an expert team and that policy changes would be made as transformation in agriculture is necessary.

He also put forward plans including establishing access for the poor community to Vheri Hospital alongside physical infrastructure development, and upgrading Mahendra Multiple Campus.

Constituency No. 1 candidate Dhakal stated that prioritizing the construction of bridges in several areas of the Rapti River where ambulances and fire trucks cannot currently reach is necessary. He mentioned the need to develop tourist routes, including the road connecting Kohalpur Chappar Gaundi to Ghuiyabari, and emphasized the need for education, drinking water, and infrastructure development in the Narainapur area.

According to Dhakal, it is necessary to complete the Sikta Irrigation Project, which is a national plan, along with the construction of a well-equipped children's hospital and a cricket ground in Kohalpur.

Banke, which has three constituencies, has 124,727 voters in Constituency No. 1, 108,290 in Constituency No. 2, and 117,354 in Constituency No. 3. A total of 56 candidates are in the electoral race, with 14 in Constituency No. 1, 20 in Constituency No. 2, and 22 in Constituency No. 3.