Sarlahi-3 Voters Prioritize Development and Accountability as Election Campaign Heats Up

Janakpurdham. As the date for the House of Representatives election approaches, candidates have plunged into election campaigning. In this context, candidates from Sarlahi Constituency No. 3 have formally become active in campaigning to draw votes in their favor.

Candidates are busy with door-to-door visits and meetings with voters. Voters, however, appear to be in a mood to cast their votes by thinking differently this time compared to the past.

Frustrated by the hollow assurances given by political parties and candidates in past elections that have gone unfulfilled, they seem intent on voting for trustworthy and reliable candidates who can solve their problems.

Voters have expressed dissatisfaction, stating that development has not met expectations from the representatives elected in previous elections.

Rajnarayan Rai from Chakraghatta Rural Municipality-2 in Sarlahi complained about the lack of basic infrastructure in his area. He said, 'There are no quality roads in our area. No work has been done to benefit the farmers.'

Rai further complained that leaders come during elections making various assurances, but work is not done in practice.

Test Sah from Barahathwa Municipality-5 stated that the problems of farmers have still not been resolved. 'Sugarcane farming is the main occupation in our area, but the MPs we elected did not even take initiative to resolve the issue of pending dues and payment for sugarcane,' he said, 'How can we trust parties and candidates who have already betrayed us in the past?'

Sia Sah, a senior citizen from Chakraghatta Rural Municipality-4, emphasized the need for social security alongside development. He said, 'Not only the arrangement of roads in our area, but the problem of unemployment must also be solved, and there should be arrangements for old-age homes for us elderly people.'

Similarly, Ashok Jha from Hariban Municipality Ward No. 3 said that although Sarlahi district is ahead in sugarcane and vegetable production, farmers do not receive necessary support. He said, 'For us farmers, timely supply of fertilizer, irrigation, and market management does not happen; leaders only give assurances.'

Meanwhile, Harihar Yadav from Kawilasi Municipality 6 stated that this time he would prioritize development over political parties. He said, 'We will no longer follow parties. We will vote for candidates who come with a credible basis for creating self-employment for the youth and raising their voice against corruption. We want change now.'

Dineswar Gupta from Barahathwa Municipality 12 complained that there has been no concrete arrangement yet to control flooding and fire incidents. He said, 'Flooding and fire incidents occur annually in our area, but there has been no concrete plan for a permanent solution so far.'

Constituency No. 3 fully comprises Hariban Municipality, Bagmati Municipality, and Chakraghatta Rural Municipality, while Ward Nos. 5 to 12 and 16 to 18 of Barahathwa Municipality, Ward Nos. 3 to 6 of Kawilasi Municipality, Ward Nos. 4 to 6 of Basbaria Rural Municipality, and Ward No. 1 of Haripur Municipality fall within this area.

In this constituency, major candidates in the electoral contest include Narayan Kaji Shrestha of the CPN (UML), Hari Prasad Upadhyaya of CPN (UML), Binod Kumar Khanal of the Nepali Congress, and Narendra Sah Kalwar of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, among others.

In the previous House of Representatives election in this constituency, Hari Prasad Upadhyaya of CPN (UML) was victorious, securing 32,938 votes, while his closest competitor, Narendra Sah, the candidate from the then CPN (Maoist Centre), received 32,168 votes.

Voters in this constituency appear to be in a mindset to vote for candidates who prioritize issues such as development, agriculture, employment, payment to sugarcane farmers, flood control, and anti-corruption, learning from past experiences.