Election Fever Rises in Kanchanpur-2 as Candidates Intensify Campaigning

Kanchanpur. As the date for the House of Representatives election draws nearer, candidates are intensifying their election campaigning efforts.

On Thursday, candidates in Kanchanpur Constituency No. 2 were busy with their respective campaign programs. CPN-UML candidate Bachan Bahadur Singh was seen in a door-to-door campaign in Sisaiya, Bedkot Municipality-10, while Narayan Prakash (NP) Saud of the Nepali Congress was found in Shuklaphanta Municipality-10. Madhav Prasad Pant of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) was conducting a door-to-door campaign in Dharampur, Bedkot-5.

Nepali Congress candidate NP Saud was elected from this constituency in the 079 elections as well. Stating that some of the agendas he put forward for the five-year term in 079 have been implemented, he is currently seeking votes from the electorate to implement the remaining agendas.

Speaking to RatoPati, he said, 'Many plans have already moved forward. The voters here are also aware of these matters. Due to the premature dissolution of the House of Representatives, some work could not be brought to completion. Therefore, the voters understand that I must take the initiative to complete that work.'

On the other hand, UML candidate Bachan Bahadur Singh is seeking votes by assuring to address the long-standing problems of park victims and irregular settlers. He has also made unemployment a key agenda.

CPN candidate Madhav Prasad Pant is also seeking votes by highlighting local problems and promising their resolution. He has made issues such as good governance, job creation, the pursuit of self-reliance, development of the tourism sector, and farmers' problems his agenda.

In this constituency, Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Dipakraj Bohara is seeking votes by pointing out the shortcomings of the major parties. However, he did not wish to discuss his electoral agenda through RatoPati.

• Nepali Congress Candidate NP Saud's Agendas

For any party to establish itself in the country's politics, it requires a theoretical background, historical contribution, an ideological foundation capable of uniting the nation, and a clear roadmap to advance the country, not just immediate events.

Today, many political parties are trying to move forward by making the criticism of others their central issue, rather than stating their own positions. Powers that hide their identity and vision, fail to clarify their perspective, and do not even show their programs cannot advance the country.

I was elected from this constituency in the 079 election as well. My party (Nepali Congress)'s proportional vote was also the best in this constituency. Now, I am presenting myself again as a candidate from this constituency.

In this constituency, the federal government needs to work on large projects. The federal government has already allocated 21 billion rupees for the expansion of the road from Gaddachauki to Attariya into six lanes. Work has begun on the Mahakali Third Irrigation Project. This project will provide irrigation facilities to approximately 45,000 hectares of land. Surveying has been completed for river control, and there is a plan to construct embankments with an estimated investment of about 7 billion rupees. Approximately 12,000 bighas of arable land will be protected by this.

Some significant work has been done in the fields of health, drinking water, and education. Not all work is finished; some remains. There is the issue of the park in Kanchanpur. Past commissions formed for this have only managed to increase the number of victims without further action. I tried to pass a bill from the House of Representatives to remove the existing legal hurdles in providing land to the victims. That matter has been stalled due to the Genji movement in the interim. If I am elected again, I will bring that to a conclusion.

My plan is to provide land ownership certificates to the people in the areas where they reside before the local elections. Many plans are incomplete because the parliament was dissolved when I still had about three years left in my term. Many tasks I announced for five years were halted midway. I believe the voters here will trust me to complete those tasks as well.

• UML Candidate Bachan Bahadur Singh's Agendas

Even when voters from the grandfather's generation to the grandson's generation have become voters in this constituency, they have not received land ownership certificates. My belief is that the problem of the landless and squatters should not remain an issue in the next election.

The situation where youth aged 16 to 40 are forced to go abroad for employment is increasing. My other plan is to focus on what methods can be used to connect those youths with local production and provide employment within the country.

This constituency also faces the problem of river erosion. The problems of roads, drinking water, and irrigation are equally pressing. People lose their lives annually due to attacks by wild animals, and crops are equally destroyed. Stray cattle also destroy crops. My candidacy is to end these various problems permanently.

The constituency I am contesting from includes the Shuklaphanta National Park. This area is also a virgin land of potential. Local youth can be connected to self-reliance by increasing the arrival of foreign tourists here. I believe that by branding Shuklaphanta National Park along with the religious sites here, employment can be created for local youth, and substantial income can be generated.

Agriculture also has immense potential in this constituency. There is a need to focus on how the residents here can become self-reliant by emphasizing agriculture and animal husbandry. There is a lack of burial grounds for the Christian community here. Providing for that is necessary.

There is a multi-technical college in Shuklaphanta, and it needs to be made more systematic and useful. If vocational education can be provided to the concerned students, they can become self-reliant. The curriculum of Sudurpaschim University should also be adapted to the geography and conditions here. The curriculum should be designed to study the herbs and water resources here.

I am going before the voters with a pledge to be a servant of this area, not a ruler. This is not a normal election; it is a special election. It is a fight for our sovereignty. I will always be dedicated to the issue of the country's territorial integrity.

• CPN Candidate Madhav Prasad Pant's Agendas

The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) has entered the upcoming House of Representatives election with the slogan 'Good Governance and Employment, Preparation for Socialism.' I have filed my candidacy from the CPN in Kanchanpur District Constituency No. 2. This is an area with significant potential. There is great potential in tourism and agriculture here. There are many possibilities in terms of natural beauty and tourism. Employment opportunities can be created through the proper development of these sectors.

The standard of living for the residents here can be raised through small and medium-sized industries by focusing on agriculture to create pocket areas. There are ample possibilities to create employment opportunities for the youth through the development of physical infrastructure, agriculture, and tourism sectors.

There are problems here too. The voters here have not received land ownership certificates for the land they have been using for decades. There are problems of squatters and park victims. There is a situation where lives are lost annually due to wildlife. There is a responsibility to solve these problems.

The issues I emphasized while filing my candidacy are ending corruption and establishing good governance, fulfilling basic needs such as economic prosperity, road facilities, irrigation, education, and health services, and employment. There is a lack of quality education here. My initiative will be towards quality education. The Shuklaphanta Polytechnic here will be made quality. Colleges need to be made quality. My initiative will be towards strengthening public education to further improve basic and secondary education. There is no good hospital here. My initiative will be to build at least a 100-bed hospital with specialized facilities.

Farmers' produce, fruits, and other crops are not getting good markets. My initiative will be towards discouraging middlemen and marketing agricultural produce.

It is necessary to solve the problem of irregular settlers. My goal is to contribute to the development of Kanchanpur-2 and the entire Sudurpaschim Province by developing this area overall. I commit to raising the voice of the voters here loudly in the parliament.

Today, the nation and nationality have become weak. Foreign interference is occurring. I will take initiative by prioritizing national interests to protect national independence, sovereignty, and integrity.

My candidacy is to make the country prosperous, create employment, and play a strong role in policy formulation, mainly for creating employment opportunities. Having been involved in student movements and youth movements for a long time, I am well aware of the problems of our society and this country. As I reach the policy-making level, my focus will be on how to make this place self-reliant. My plan is to end the compulsion for youth to go abroad for employment by operating some skill-based programs and creating a situation where they can be self-reliant while staying in the country.

• Who are the other candidates?

In Kanchanpur Constituency No. 2, 19 candidates, including those from the Congress, UML, CPN, RPP, and independents, are in the competition. However, these four parties are getting the most attention in this constituency.

Other candidates in this constituency include Tirtharaj Chataut of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ramchandra Bhatta of the Janmat Party, Sitaram Rana of the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party, Rambahadur Karki of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Dharmananda Joshi of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, and Khadak Tamrakar of the Sanyukta Nagarik Party.

Similarly, Tej Bahadur Wadwal of the Miteri Party Nepal, Lokendra Bahadur Bik of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist), Yogendra Bahadur Saud of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, Premvati Rana of the Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal, and Jaggu Chaudhary of the Aam Janata Party are candidates.

Birendra Rana, Bhanubhakta Bohara, Siddharaj Joshi, and Haris Bahadur Bhatt have filed independent candidacies here.