CPN-UML Candidate Julie Kumari Mahato Discusses Development, Youth Unemployment, and Political Controversies in Dhanusha-3

As part of our election special 'Ground Zero' series, Ratopati has arrived in Janakpur, the capital of Madhesh Province. Today, we are speaking with Julie Kumari Mahato, the CPN-UML candidate for the House of Representatives from Dhanusha Constituency No. 3. Here is the edited excerpt of our conversation with her:

You have contested elections multiple times, achieved victory, and even served as a minister. Why are you in the electoral arena again this time?

It turns out that once you represent an area, you develop a deep affection for the constituency and its residents. I am contesting the election again due to the love and goodwill of the people. I am not fighting this election for my personal gain. I am committed to the affection shown to me by the sisters, youth, and elders of my constituency. I cannot leave them. Contesting the election has become almost a compulsion for me, as I feel their aspirations and needs will not be met if I do not participate.

Have there been any changes between the agendas of the 2070 BS and 2079 BS elections and the agendas for this time?

There have been many changes, and much work remains to be done. When I was a proportional representation MP in 2064 BS, I heard that Karnali was lagging behind. However, when I came here to contest the election in 2070 BS, I felt this area was even more backward than Karnali. At that time, there were no paved or concrete roads here; it was difficult to take a vehicle into the villages. Therefore, my main agenda, whether I won or lost the election, was the development of infrastructure and education here.

I narrowly lost in 2070 BS due to technical reasons. Afterward, those who won became ministers, but a trend emerged where they only stayed in Kathmandu and Janakpur, avoiding the villages. Later, as an MP in 2074 BS and a minister for a short period, I accomplished many significant tasks.

What were those significant accomplishments?

As a minister, I established a provision for nutrition allowance for children of all castes across the country up to the age of five. I worked on making offices disability-friendly, providing residential services, and arranging for a Rs 20,000 travel allowance for new mothers rescued by air from remote areas upon their return home. On my initiative, the Children Search and Rescue Center, which was absent in Madhesh Province, was established in Janakpur.

In all 38 wards of my constituency, work has been done on constructing schools, roads, water supply systems, dharamshalas (rest houses), and beautifying ponds. Works ranging from building a dharamshala in the name of martyr Durgananda Jha to laying the foundation stone for the Janakpur Ring Road were done through my initiative. I have managed a budget of 33 crore rupees to eliminate the necessity of crossing bamboo footbridges due to the lack of a bridge over the Jalad River. I introduced a policy and program to make Janakpur a 'wedding destination' for Hindus worldwide. All these achievements were possible with the blessings of Mata Janaki.

While discussing development, the problem of unemployment remains significant here, doesn't it?

Yes, the compulsion for educated youth to go to Qatar or the Arab countries due to unemployment is the biggest problem in my constituency. For this, my main agenda is to bring the closed Janakpur Cigarette Factory back into operation and establish a new industrial corridor in the Belakuti area. My priorities include solving Dhanusha's irrigation problems by diverting the Sunkoshi Marin Diversion to the Kamala River and constructing overhead water tanks as an alternative to hand pumps that dry up during the summer. I am determined to complete these unfinished tasks from the last five years.

However, the impact of the Gen Z movement against your party and the government leadership is also visible here, isn't it?

The demands raised by the youth—that social media should not be shut down, corruption must end, and good governance must be maintained—are legitimate. We support them. However, no one is ready to take responsibility for the incidents that occurred during the protests and the loss of young lives. The investigation commission formed by the government has not published its report even after six months. The commission must reveal the facts clearly, separating truth from falsehood. Whether it was infiltration or a failure of the state, the innocent should not be framed, and the guilty should not escape.

You are known to be close to UML Chairman KP Oli. It is said that his statements and the statements of leader Mahesh Basnet are currently causing you difficulties in Madhesh, isn't that true?

There are two sides to understanding any statement. The Chairman did not intend to hurt the sentiments of the Madhesh people; he only gave an example of where development had not occurred. However, I have conveyed to him that if his words have hurt the people of Dhanusha and Mahottari, he should correct them.

As for Mahesh Basnet Ji, he lacked linguistic sensitivity. He made a mistake, and we compelled him to apologize to the people of Madhesh. He has already apologized. His statement was his personal view, not the view of the CPN-UML party.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party is promoting Balen Shah as a future Prime Minister and is also ringing the bell in Madhesh. How much fear is this causing you?

I have no fear. Whoever the people give a majority to will become the Prime Minister. However, currently, many candidates are trying to win by relying on the names and election symbols of leaders from other places, without stating their own names or agendas. The public understands this very well.

What is paramount is how much the candidate contesting here has stood with the people in their joys and sorrows. What contribution did those who became MPs yesterday make to the development here? Development in this region is not possible through those who seek votes by trading on others' names. It might be easy to become an MP, but it is challenging to work.

Is the photo of your party chairman, Oli, being made smaller or removed from your election campaign materials because his popularity has decreased?

That is not the case. Our main objective is for the country to be happy and prosperous. The public must evaluate what work was done when which party was in government yesterday, and what the policy and program are for those claiming to be new today. Nothing changes by making a photo bigger or smaller; the agenda must be clear.

You also face accusations of promoting nepotism in politics?

Two members of our family are in politics. But the people of Dhanusha are well aware that we have worked with a spirit of service. It is not that someone should never enter politics just because they are someone's wife, sister, or sister-in-law. The main thing is whether they have worked for the people? Have they fulfilled their responsibilities? The people here already understand that Julie has advanced in politics based on her own deeds and work, not on the basis of family ties.

Finally, there are rumors of money and power playing a role in the election. It is rumored that the decision on the 21st will be made by money. Are you also accused of winning elections by distributing money?

This is completely false. If elections were won solely by money, only the richest people in this country would be MPs. I have sought votes not through money, but by serving the people day and night. Voters now are aware. They will exercise their independent franchise based on who has done how much work. The narrative of winning elections by distributing money is merely fabricated to defame candidates.

Instead, the Election Commission should regulate those who are currently pasting large posters in violation of the code of conduct, littering the city by pasting pamphlets even on temples, and making grand statements on social media. I am confident that the government will ensure a fair election.