Election Fever Rises in Mustang Despite Sub-Zero Temperatures Ahead of Polls

Mustang. Despite sub-zero temperatures, election fervor is escalating in Mustang. As the date for the House of Representatives election on February 21 approaches, the campaign activities of political parties and their candidates are reaching their peak.

When the election atmosphere began to build, the temperature in Upper Mustang had dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius last month. Currently, as the election atmosphere is at its peak, the seasonal temperature here is decreasing from February. The temperature in Upper Mustang has now dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Lower Mustang is at minus 3 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, even though the weather is cold and adverse, election campaigning is proceeding rapidly. The election mood is heated from Ghasa in Lower Mustang all the way to the Nepal-China border at Korala.

Out of the eight political parties that have registered candidates in the district, six parties and their candidates are heating up the election atmosphere. CPN (UML), Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Ujyalo Nepal Party are intensifying their campaign activities. The campaign activities of Mongol Nepal Organization and Aam Janata Party and their candidates are also ongoing.

As the election date nears, most voters who descended to warmer areas to escape the cold have not returned to the district. Some voters have started moving towards the Himalayas. Candidates and parties are also making various efforts to bring the voters back.

Candidates here are advancing their election programs by prioritizing infrastructure development, agriculture, tourism, education, and the overall development plan for Mustang district. Commitments are being presented to the public by parties and candidates focusing on physical infrastructure such as the Nepal-China Northern Korala border customs, immigration, and integrated security post; tourism routes and development via the Korala border to Mansarovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China; scrapping the restricted and controlled area status of Upper Mustang; modernization of the agricultural sector and proper management of fallow lands; quality education and educational facilities up to the bachelor's level in all subjects; completion of roads and bridges, the Mustang-Dolpa road, and the Mustang-Manang road; mitigation of the climate crisis; and management of well-equipped health infrastructure and manpower.

Similarly, declarations have been made regarding advancing stalled development projects in the district, developing youth entrepreneurship, and emphasizing the construction of tourism infrastructure by exploring the overall tourism development potential of Mustang. To woo voters, candidates are pledging to facilitate land ownership documents for landless squatters and unmanaged settlers, and to initiate re-surveying of lands in Mustang that were missed during the survey in 2030 BS.

In the elections up to BS 2079, where the competition in this district was solely between UML and Congress, it is estimated that this time the main competition will be among four political parties. Currently, Nepali Congress, UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), and Rastriya Swatantra Party are in the main contest. Moreover, Ujyalo Nepal and RPP are anticipated to challenge the main competing parties in the election to win over voters.

District Election Officer Lokendra Gyawali stated that all preparations for the election have reached the final stage, and parties are going door-to-door with their candidates. He mentioned that arrangements for election staff, division of duties, and training for staff deployed at polling stations have been completed.

An integrated security plan has been implemented in the district for the election. More than 200 security personnel, including 501 from Nepal Police and election police from Armed Police Force, have been mobilized for election security. Furthermore, the Nepali Army has established election security base camps in Upper and Lower Mustang and is increasing patrols.