Electoral Fever Grips Myagdi as Voters Demand Development and Accountability

Baglung. The election atmosphere is palpable even in the Himalayan district of Myagdi. Discussions about the election dominate tea stalls and neighborhoods. Candidates are going door-to-door to woo voters amidst the election campaigning.

There are 12 candidates contesting in Myagdi, which has only one constituency. Voters, ranging from long-time participants to first-time voters, want to elect a leader who will work, not just offer assurances this time.

Mahabir Pun, who recently resigned from the post of Education Minister to enter the election fray, has emerged as a strong candidate here. However, there is not much enthusiasm among the voters. The demands of the voters are for infrastructure development, good governance, employment, and the practical implementation of Myagdi's status as a Himalayan district. The government had listed Myagdi as a Himalayan district seven years ago. However, citizens are dissatisfied because this has not been practically implemented.

Thomas Pun from Annapurna Rural Municipality-3 is voting for the first time in this election. He shared that the leaders elected by his parents for decades have failed to deliver. He complained that they have not paid attention to solving the numerous problems in the village. He said, 'Our area has immense potential from a tourism perspective. Domestic and foreign tourists come every year. But there is no proper road for them to travel. Not just roads, many other structures have not been built. Even the basic problems of the citizens living in the village have not been resolved.'

He stated that if they fail to choose the right candidate in the upcoming elections, they will be pushed back many more years. 'Our predecessors could not choose good leaders, which is why we have not experienced development and good governance. If we do not choose the right leadership, our descendants will also suffer,' Pun said.

54-year-old Indevi Jugjali from Malika Rural Municipality-7, Bim, says that leaders elected to office must understand the joys and sorrows of the people. She complains that the representatives who won in the past never return to the village, making people feel constantly fooled by the leaders.

'Development does not happen overnight. The main thing for a leader after winning the election is continuous dialogue with the people and understanding their problems, but no leader has done that so far,' she said. 'Now we have to think carefully before casting our vote; we must elect a leader who prioritizes the issues of the people.'

Lal Bahadur Baniya from Beni Municipality-6, Bankot, expressed his grievance that leaders who come with folded hands asking for votes before the election do not return after winning. He stated that there is a lack of organized roads, employment, and good schools in the village. Baniya said he will not vote for candidates who make false promises now.

He said, 'I have voted in many elections so far. But those votes were limited to making one Member of Parliament. The leaders elected by our votes reached higher positions, but the condition of the people remains the same. When will our situation change? Who will change it? They only gave unfulfilled assurances during the elections. They disappeared after getting the votes.'

He shared that he is starting to lose hope in the old parties. He intends to vote for a candidate who understands the problems of the village. Baniya says that he has voted for all the old parties in turn, but none of them understood the problems of the village.

Local Bhagwan Paudel stated that the leaders who have been running the state apparatus since 2048 BS have failed to create employment opportunities in the country, forcing hundreds of youths to migrate abroad daily. He mentioned that despite many promises regarding employment in previous elections, they were not fulfilled. Paudel shared that due to youth migration, only the elderly remain in the village.

'Currently, in the village, you cannot find the young workforce except for the elderly parents. What can be done? There is no employment in the village; they are forced to go abroad even by taking loans,' he said. 'If the leaders who have been in power for years had created an environment for the youth to stay in the country, this situation would not have arisen.'

He mentioned that leaders voted for in previous elections never returned to the village after winning, so he is thinking of giving a chance to someone new this time. He says he will vote for a candidate who prioritizes the people, not themselves.

Karan Baniya from Beni Municipality-6 stated that the representative elected by their vote must work in favor of the people. He said that citizens are disheartened because leaders give unnecessary assurances during elections but do nothing afterward, so they should only promise what they can deliver. He noted that while development has been ongoing since the past, it has not been as much as it should have been.

He said, 'It is not right to say there has been no development. One must evaluate for themselves what the condition of the village was eight or ten years ago compared to now. But it hasn't been as much as it should have been. Leaders should not make ambitious plans and give assurances just to win elections; if they give achievable assurances and work, the public will not be displeased.'