Electoral Heat Rises in Bhaktapur Constituency 1 Ahead of February 21 By-election

Bhaktapur. The electoral atmosphere is heating up significantly in Bhaktapur Constituency No. 1 for the House of Representatives election scheduled for this coming Falgun 21.

With a total of 25 candidates in the fray, including 16 political parties and 9 independents, this year's competition appears intriguing. While candidates are busy door-to-door canvassing to woo voters, the constituents are demanding guarantees of development and good governance.

Monika Rokkha, 19, from Changunarayan Municipality-1, is casting her vote for the first time this election. She says, "We will only vote for those who stand by us in times of joy and sorrow and focus on the development of this area. Those who only show their faces during elections will not be voted for this time." Keshav Parajuli of Bhaktapur voices similar grievances. Despite being close to Kathmandu, the lack of paved roads, scarcity of drinking water, and neglect of heritage conservation have left the citizens here dissatisfied.

• Old Stalwarts and New Challenges in the Fray

In this constituency, Narayan Man Bijukchhe, Chairman of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP/NMKP), continuously won elections from 2038 BS to 2070 BS. Subsequently, Prem Suwal of the same party was elected in 2074 BS and 2079 BS. Suwal is contesting the election for the fourth time this year. He states that the development of Bhaktapur and the happiness of the people are his main agendas.

However, this time, Som Prasad Mishra of CPN-UML, Kiran Neupane of Nepali Congress, and Rukesha Ranjit of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) claim they will pose a tough challenge to Suwal. UML candidate Mishra emphasizes controlling corruption and administrative restructuring, while Congress candidate Neupane has put forward agendas to resolve the reconstruction of earthquake victims and the issue of land mortgages. Similarly, RSP's Ranjit prioritizes good governance and a corruption-free society.

Bhaktapur Municipality is considered the 'vote bank' of NMKP, while Changunarayan has a mixed mandate. Although Suwal received 42,761 votes in the 2079 BS election, UML's Navaraj Gelal was limited to 11,968 votes. Despite the large margin, analysts suggest that the desire for new forces and young voters could influence the results this time.

For the election taking place on Falgun 21, 18,903,689 voters have been registered nationwide. For the election, 10,967 polling stations and 23,112 voting centers have been designated. The army has been mobilized since Magh 21 for security. Security arrangements have been made by listing 3,680 polling stations under the 'highly sensitive' category.

Electoral Arithmetic of the Constituency

• Total Voters: 107,054 (Female 54,988 and Male 52,066)
• Polling Centers: 119
• Candidates: 16 from parties and 9 independents (Total 25)
• Main Competitors: Prem Suwal (NMKP), Som Prasad Mishra (UML), Kiran Neupane (Congress), Rukesha Ranjit (RSP), Bharat Bahadur Khadka (RSP), Chandraman Koju (Maoist).