Bhaktapur Gears Up for Elections: Candidates Vie for Seats in Highly Contested Constituencies

Bhaktapur is buzzing with election fervor as the country makes final preparations for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for Falgun 21. With only a few days left until voting, an election atmosphere is building across the nation, and Bhaktapur district is heating up in line with this trend.

In the elections for the House of Representatives in Bhaktapur, some familiar faces and many new candidates are contesting across the district's two constituencies. Candidates from all political parties, as well as independent contenders, are intensely engaged in campaigning. Voters in the area are showing enthusiasm as candidates begin door-to-door visits presenting their respective agendas, plans, and programs.

In Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1, Prem Suwal, Central Secretary of the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party (NWPP), is running for the House of Representatives for the fourth time. In the election taking place on Falgun 21, 25 candidates, including those from various political parties and independents, are vying for the seat, with Suwal being a well-known veteran figure.

In Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1, Narayan Man Bijukchhe had continuously won the House of Representatives seat with overwhelming majorities representing the NWPP in the elections of 2048, 2051, 2056, 2064, and 2070 BS.

After Bijukchhe decided in 2074 BS not to contest, stating the need for generational transition within the party, Suwal has been elected from this constituency with massive mandates in the elections of 2079, 2074, and 2078 BS.

In the previous House of Representatives election of 2079 BS, NWPP's Suwal was elected in Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1 by securing 42,761 votes, while his closest rival, Nabraj Gelal of CPN (UML), received 11,968 votes. With a vote difference of 30,793 in that election, the party claims it will be the leading party in Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1 this time as well.

Candidate Prem Suwal of NWPP informed that his main agendas include establishing a socialist system, tightening citizenship policy, enacting strict laws against corruption, and making education and health completely free.

Stating that socialism will not come through elections alone, he mentioned that he is campaigning with the commitment to transform the parliament from a prime minister-centric institution into a representative body that understands the people's suffering, defends the nation, and formulates necessary policies and laws. He further stated that NWPP's policy platform includes abolishing the provision of granting citizenship by descent to the children of foreigners based on birth, nationalizing the assets of corrupt individuals, advocating for the death penalty for major corrupt offenders, and implementing legal reforms to prevent the parliament and state apparatus from becoming 'institutions seeking privileges.'

Meanwhile, CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, and Rastriya Swatantra Party have intensified their election campaigns, claiming they will emerge ahead in this election. Som Prasad Mishra is the candidate for CPN-UML in this election. Mishra, who previously served as a Central Committee member and Bhaktapur In-charge for UML, secured victory as the Mayor of Changunarayan Municipality in the previous local level elections, establishing his five-year representation at the local level.

In this constituency, Kiran Neupane, former President of the Nepal Bar Association, Bhaktapur, and an advocate, is the candidate for Nepali Congress. He claims that the public, feeling neglected by NWPP's focus only on urban areas and perceived discrimination in development, will trust the newly reformed Congress and elect him.

Rukesh Ranjit is the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate in Bhaktapur. He claims he will bring a change to the previous trend where candidates sought votes from outside Bhaktapur to win but did not return to serve the area after being elected.

Advocate Hari Ram Lavaju, candidate for the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), and Bharat Bahadur Khadka, running for the second time from Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), also claim victory. They state that they will bring change in this election, breaking the previous tradition.

Other candidates contesting from Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1 include Ramesh Ball of Ujyalo Party Nepal, Devendra Thakur of Aam Janata Party, Ishwariprasad Paiyani of Rastriya Janamorcha, Shyam Sundar Shilpakar of Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, Damodar Pandey of CPN (United), Chandra Man Koju of CPN (Maoist Party), Sabitri Neupane of Miteri Party Nepal, Deepak Pokhrel of Nepal Ka Lagi Nepali Party, Bishnu Hari Nhisutu of Shram Sanskriti Party, and Ravi Khaiju of Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party.

Independent candidates including Sujita Budhathoki, Bishnu Ram Dumru, Rajeshwori Prajapati, Sudip Neupane, Punyaram Suwal, Raju Shrestha, Dasharath Thapa, Suresh Koju, and Balkrishna Khaitule are also campaigning through social media and various other platforms.

In Constituency No. 1, in the previous 2079 election, after NWPP, CPN-UML, and Nepali Congress, Bharat Bahadur Khadka of RPP secured 9,303 votes, and Sunil Gothe Wasu of the then CPN (Maoist Centre), the joint candidate of the ruling coalition, received 5,283 votes.

Electoral heat is also rising in Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2 as candidates reach out to the public with development agendas as the election approaches.

Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2 has become a focal point of interest in this year's election. As the residence of CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is in this constituency, Secretary Mahesh Basnet is the candidate from UML. Consequently, national politics is showing increased interest in this constituency. Basnet, a UML leader, is contesting for the House of Representatives seat from this constituency for the fourth time this year.

Basnet was defeated by Rameshwar Dhungel in the 2070 BS election but was elected from this constituency in the 2074 BS election. The Nepali Congress candidate in that election was Daman Nath Dhungana. However, in the 2079 election, Durlabh Thapa of Nepali Congress was elected with 24,238 votes, while Basnet of UML received 23,279 votes. This time, senior journalist Kabir Rana is the candidate for Nepali Congress. This is his first time as a Congress candidate.

In this constituency, Nepali Congress's Jagannath Acharya won in 2048 BS, NWPP's Ashakaji Basukala in 2051, Congress's Lekhnath Neupane in 2056, NWPP's Sunil Prajapati in 2064, Congress's Rameshwar Dhungel in 2070, CPN-UML's Mahesh Basnet for the first time in 2074, and Congress's Durlabh Thapa in 2079, winning in an alternating fashion. This year, a tough contest is expected in Constituency No. 2 between UML's Basnet, Congress's Rana, RSP's Khatri, NWPP's Ramesh Baidh, and CPN's Deepshikha. Many predict the main competition this year will be between Congress and UML, but RSP is unwilling to accept this.

CPN-UML candidate Mahesh Basnet states he is campaigning with the resolve to make Bhaktapur prosperous and its residents happy. He claims that despite being a district in the valley connected to the central capital, development in Bhaktapur, known as the 'Rakam Karnali' of the valley, has seen a transformation, and his candidacy aims to complete the remaining unfinished development works in this term.

He asserts that he has brought a revolution in the development of education, health, and infrastructure in Bhaktapur since becoming a Member of Parliament compared to ten years ago. He claims his candidacy is to complete the development works in Bhaktapur that have been stalled for the past three years and make Bhaktapur prosperous in the coming term.

His agenda includes completing projects ranging from providing tap water access to every household, modernizing agriculture, establishing a chemical fertilizer factory, completing the stalled smart city project or releasing land for it, expanding access to state-of-the-art health services, making quality education a hub, and securing approval for the Bhaktapur Institute of Health Sciences and Khwopa University.

Similarly, Nepali Congress candidate and senior journalist Kabir Rana states he is campaigning with the agenda of developing the surrounding areas of Bhaktapur. He claims victory this time because Congress has a strong base in Bhaktapur Constituency No. 2, having won three times previously from this seat, the Bhaktapur Congress is united after the special general convention, and he is campaigning with agendas like development construction and corruption control.

RSP candidate and journalist Rajeev Khatri claims that voters this time will look towards new faces. He commits to raising the problems of Bhaktapur and the entire nation in parliament and focusing on Bhaktapur's development, accusing previous MPs of failing to raise Bhaktapur's voice.

CPN candidate Ram Prasad Sapkota (Deepshikha) also states that he will prioritize Bhaktapur's development and claims his first-time election victory in Constituency No. 2, based on unity with various parties and the trust of the voters.

Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party's Ramesh Baidh, Rastriya Prajatantra Party's Bikram Thapa, Ujyalo Nepal Party's Jitram Lama, Shram Sanskriti Party's Arjun Basu, Trimul Nepal's Rakesh Shrestha, Nepal Janaseva Party's Januka Pathak, Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party's journalist Janma Dev Jaisi, CPN United's Lok Krishna Dahal, Janata Samajbadi Party's Navin Shrestha, CPN Maoist's Prakash Raj Dhungel, Mongol National Organization's Pemba Ghale, and Nepal Ka Lagi Nepali Party's Rajesh Badele have also reached out to voters with their respective agendas.

Furthermore, independent candidates Sabin Mahat, Pradip Kumar Rupakheti, Anand Karki, Madhu Prakash Sahukhala, Shyam Krishna Dhukhwa, Laxmi Bastola Poudel, Balkrishna Thapa, Om Krishna Kutum, Navin Kumar Mahat, Sajan Dhakal, Suvarna Thapa, Renu Shrestha, Archana Bhattarai, and Anita Bhattarai are actively campaigning to seek votes in their favor.

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