Hotel Businesses in Rupandehi Express Disappointment as Election Season Fails to Boost Trade

Butwal. As the date for the House of Representatives election draws nearer, hotel operators are expressing disappointment. Those who expected an increase in hotel business during the election period are lamenting that transactions have actually decreased.

Generally, the country's economy becomes more dynamic during election times. Specifically, hotel operators anticipate a rise in business during elections. However, they argue that the excitement of the upcoming election has not impacted them from a business perspective.

Hotel operators in Rupandehi say that hotels, which are usually packed with customers for 'meat-rice' meals and tea-snacks during previous elections, are now deserted.

Arjun Thapa, Senior Vice President of the Hotel and Restaurant Entrepreneurs Association, Rupandehi, stated that there is a slump in business compared to past elections.

'In previous elections, hotels used to be almost full,' he said, 'but now, right before the election, transactions have further declined.'

He asserted that during past elections, leaders and activists from various parties campaigning for the election used to flock to hotels for meals and snacks, but such hustle and bustle is not visible now.

Thapa speculates that political parties and candidates might be controlling hotel expenses now due to the prevailing narrative that votes are being bought with meat-rice meals during elections. Nevertheless, he noted that this situation is worrying for them professionally.

Pitambar Rana, another hotel operator in Butwal, also shared his experience of reduced activity in hotels during the election period. 'In the past, activists campaigning for the election used to come frequently for meat-rice meals, and activity would increase,' he said, 'but now, business is almost stagnant.'

He recounted that hotel businesses used to do well in previous elections but stated that the current situation is disappointing.

Krishna Ghimire, another hotel operator in Butwal, also reported a decrease in customers at the hotel. 'In terms of transactions, we don't even feel like an election is happening right now,' he said.

Ghimire mentioned that the hotel business used to be dynamic in past elections. However, he noted that there is now a further decline in trade and business.

Laxmi KC, who runs a hotel business in Siddharthanagar Municipality-8, also said there is no activity in the hotel. 'In the past, many people used to come for meals and snacks during election time. We used to be very busy,' she said, 'but now, it doesn't even feel like an election is here.'

Punyaprasad Upadhyay, who operates a pan and retail shop in Siddharthanagar Municipality-9, also stated that there is no hustle and bustle in the current election in terms of trade and business. 'Business used to increase during elections, but now, even on the eve of the election, trade and business are almost shut down,' he said.

It is the view of hotel operators that in past elections, major parties like the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML used to organize rallies and mass meetings, leading to large gatherings at street corners. They explain that gathering cadres in one place naturally increased the business of snacks and meals.

Currently, candidates from almost all parties are reaching out to voters' doorsteps with limited cadres to ask for votes. In Rupandehi-2, Nepali Congress candidate Chhunn Prasad Sharma and CPN-UML candidate Bishnu Prasad Paudel were seen campaigning in the Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City area on Wednesday with limited cadres. Both candidates were seen walking door-to-door with local workers asking for votes.

Similarly, Nepali Communist Party candidate Subhash Pandey was campaigning in the wards falling under his constituency in Sainamaina Municipality with a limited number of workers. The National Independent Party candidate Sulabh Kharel also had only a few supporters with him.

It can be assessed that the change in election campaigning style has provided significant relief to candidates from hotel expenses. However, this has worried the hotel operators.