Rupandehi Constituency 2 Candidates Adopt Civil Campaign Styles Ahead of Upcoming Elections

Rupandehi. Candidates in Rupandehi Constituency No. 2 for the upcoming House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 are exhibiting a polite style of campaigning. Instead of criticizing candidates from other parties, they are focusing their campaign efforts on explaining their own electoral issues to the general voters.

CPN (UML) candidate Bishnu Prasad Paudel, in every election campaign program, meeting, and discussion, explains to the voters the work he has done in this constituency so far and outlines his future plans.

“Rather than damaging the emotional relationship in our society by abusing or criticizing others during elections, it is sufficient if we can explain to the people the work we have done for the development of this constituency in the past,” he says, “Therefore, instead of criticizing others, it is enough to explain to the people the work we have done in the past and our plans for the development and prosperity of this area in the coming days.”

During his election campaign, he presents a detailed list of development works carried out after being elected multiple times from this constituency. Having been elected repeatedly in parliamentary elections, Paudel has served in various ministerial responsibilities in the government, including three terms as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.

Leader Paudel is a figure of national political prominence, and in Constituency No. 2, considered the main center of the district, almost all of his competitors this time are new faces against former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Paudel. The campaign style of the new candidates also appears very courteous and polite. Because of this, the candidates have received high praise from the voters here.

Chunnu Prasad Paudel, the candidate from the Nepali Congress in this constituency, also displays a polite and civil campaign style. He presents his contributions in the social sector, rather than purely political ones, to the voters.

His contributions to the religious, social, and business sectors, particularly regarding employment, have become his electoral issues. He has also committed to the voters to build upon his past work and to lead politics towards the social sector in the future.

He has pledged to prioritize developing Rupandehi district as a hub for education and health, as well as creating investment-friendly laws in the industry and trade sector. Similarly, Suraj Pandey, the candidate from the CPN (Maoist Centre) in this constituency, is a young leader.

Although he is a new face for this constituency, his father's political legacy has made it easier for him to reach the voters. His father, Bhakti Prasad Pandey, contested against UML leader Paudel in the 2064 election. After 22 years, his son Pandey has entered the electoral arena to fight against the same UML leader Paudel.

Since the time of the then Maoist People's War, his father Bhakti Prasad has been connected to the central leadership of the party and has contributed significantly; thus, he is presenting himself to the voters in a simple and straightforward manner, following his father's style. Furthermore, having worked in the secretariat of the then senior Maoist leader Dr. Baburam Bhattarai from a young age also contributes to his simple and easygoing demeanor.

Young candidate Pandey has made it his agenda to advance the sentiments of the Gen Z group alongside the experience of the older political leadership. He stated that his campaign will encompass the overall development of this constituency.

Sulah Kharel, the candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is in the electoral field. Kharel, the RSP candidate, is an advocate. He has reached the voters with the issues of institutionalizing the achievements after the Gen Z movement, corruption prevention, and good governance as his electoral agenda.

Likewise, another young candidate, Dr. Kalam Bhusal (Nicholas), is also competing in Rupandehi-2. Dr. Bhusal, who is also a physician, is a candidate from the Nepal Janaseva Party. In the previous election of BS 2079, Dr. Bhusal, who filed an independent candidacy, had his nomination rejected by the Election Commission due to legal procedures.

In this constituency, UML leader Paudel has been continuously elected in the first Constituent Assembly election of BS 2064, the second Constituent Assembly election of BS 2070, and the House of Representatives elections of 2074 and 2079. Paudel defeated then Maoist leader Bhakti Pandey in 2064, then Maoist leader and former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in 2070, Nepali Congress leader Yuvraj Giri in 2074, and Ganesh Paudel of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in 2079.

Forty candidates have registered their nominations from Rupandehi Constituency No. 2 this time. The main competition in this constituency appears to be between UML Vice-Chairman Paudel, the Nepali Congress candidate with a business background Paudel, the young candidate Pandey from the CPN (Maoist Centre), and the young candidate Kharel from the RSP.

Constituency No. 2 covers Wards 1 to 13 of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, Wards 1 to 4 of Sainamaina Municipality, and Wards 1 to 6 of Tilottama. According to the Election Officer's office, 19 candidates from 19 parties and 20 independents, totaling 39, are in the electoral race in this constituency.

Rupandehi-2 encompasses Wards 1 to 4 of Sainamaina Municipality, Wards 1 to 6 of Tilottama Municipality, and Wards 1 to 13 of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City. According to the Election Commission, there are 135,050 voters in this constituency.

Although the candidates are claiming victory, it is currently impossible to say who will win. The outcome of the victory or defeat will be determined by the inclination of the traditional votes of UML and Congress, along with the newly added and migrant voters. As the election approaches, the Election Commission has requested that political parties and their candidates adhere to the code of conduct during their campaigning.

Matrika Acharya, the Assistant Chief District Officer of the District Administration Office, Rupandehi, and the official monitoring the election code of conduct in the district, stated that monitoring to ensure the continuous implementation of the code of conduct is being carried out to make the election peaceful and impartial.

He mentioned that apart from isolated incidents violating the code of conduct, a harmonious situation was observed in all areas. Rajendra Neupane, the Election Officer for Rupandehi Constituency No. 2, also stated that there have been no issues regarding the election code of conduct or security in the area so far.

He added that in an area with experienced and conscious candidates as well as conscious voters, there have been few complaints regarding the violation of the code of conduct by the campaign styles of almost all candidates.