Dadeldhura's Election Ground Zero: Voters Navigate Post-Deuba Era in Key Constituency

Dadeldhura. The campaigning for the House of Representatives election is intensifying. Candidates are actively engaged in their election drives, while voters exhibit a mix of skepticism, hope, and belief.

Nepali Congress's outgoing president, Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has been continuously elected from Dadeldhura in every parliamentary election since 2048 (including two Constituent Assembly elections), is not contesting the House of Representatives election this time. This district, established as a stronghold of the Congress, is facing an election without Deuba for the first time in 34 years.

Deuba's absence as a continuous contender has brought a sense of excitement among rival parties, while the Congress faces an increased challenge to maintain its stronghold in this district.

Paridatta Awasthi, a resident of Ganyapadhura Rural Municipality-1 in Dadeldhura, is not just an ordinary voter; he is also someone who once served as a district member of the Nepali Congress's sister organization, the 'Nepal Student Union'. Awasthi mentioned that Nain Singh Mahar was the district president when he was a district member of the Nepal Student Union in 2056 BS.

Mahar is currently the Nepali Congress candidate in Dadeldhura. However, Awasthi holds neither sympathy for Mahar nor for the Congress party, in which he was once politically active. Nevertheless, he states that he holds deep respect for Sher Bahadur Deuba.

'When Deuba was here, Dadeldhura used to receive some extra budget,' he said, 'His absence naturally impacts the development works here.'

Awasthi is a driver by profession. As a public transport driver, he remains keenly interested in politics. He is concerned about the state of the country and also believes that the situation can change. For this, he emphasizes that voters themselves must be aware.

'If Sher Bahadur Deuba had been the candidate, I would have unhesitatingly voted for him. I respect him,' Awasthi said, 'His not being a candidate opens the door for alternatives for me.'

'Why vote for Sher Bahadur Deuba but not for another candidate from the same party?' Awasthi was asked.

In response, he said, 'There are many reasons to vote for Deuba. It was because of his name and prestige that we, not just the residents of Dadeldhura but the entire Sudurpaschim region, felt proud until now. He was a major leader not just of Sudurpaschim but of this entire country, and as voters from his constituency, we could take pride in that.'

Awasthi states that he does not see any leader in the Congress from Sudurpaschim with the same political stature as Deuba now. 'There is a big difference between voting for Deuba and voting for others,' he said, 'Even if Deuba hadn't asked for our vote, we would have wanted to give it to him, but he did not contest. We also got a chance to look for alternatives.'

Awasthi believes that whether he won or lost, if Deuba had contested one last time, the Congress could have secured a good position in Sudurpaschim. 'When Deuba was here, Dadeldhura used to receive some extra budget,' he said, 'His absence naturally impacts the development works here.'

Awasthi himself spent 10 years working abroad in Malaysia. He laments that despite spending a precious decade working overseas, he now has to drive a vehicle to make a living.

Awasthi claims that many people, even without changing parties, will change their vote in this election. He said, 'We have looked at the old guard for three to three and a half decades. Now, we will look at someone new for five years. There is hope that they might do something.'

Awasthi is determined to vote keeping in mind what the country demands and who can fulfill it. 'We need a corruption-free government,' he said, 'If employment opportunities were created within the country, the youth here would not have to go abroad.'

Awasthi himself spent 10 years working abroad in Malaysia. He laments that despite spending a precious decade working overseas, he now has to drive a vehicle to make a living. He said, 'There isn't much earning from the driving profession either. I have five ropanis of land. That barely covers subsistence. The money earned from driving is used to educate the children and save for medical treatment; what else is there?'

Stating that as a driver, he meets new people daily and talks to people from various places, Awasthi shared that many people have expressed that this election feels lackluster in Deuba's absence.

In Dadeldhura, which has only one constituency for the House of Representatives, the candidates are Nain Singh Mahar from the Nepali Congress, Chakra Prasad Snehi from CPN-UML, Man Singh Mal from the Communist Party of Nepal, and Tara Prasad Joshi from the Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Similarly, Govinda Khadayat from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Surendra Raj Bhatta from the Nepal Workers' and Peasants' Party, Chakra Dev Bik from the Rastriya Janamorcha, Laxmidatta Bhatta from the Jai Matribhumi Party, Mahendra Pun Magar from the Shram Sanskriti Party, and Khadak Bahadur Thakurathi from the Aam Janata Party are contesting. Gorakh Bahadur Air, Tirtha Raj Upreti, and Surendra Rawal are running as independents here.