Voters in Siraha Become 'Auditors' as Election Nears, Demanding Accountability on Key Issues

Siraha. As the upcoming House of Representatives election approaches, the electoral fervor has increased in the villages and settlements of Siraha, but campaigning door-to-door is not as easy for candidates this time as it was in the past. Voters, who used to listen to bundles of promises and applaud in previous days, are now waiting for candidates as 'auditors'.

Leaders of old parties are finding it difficult to present their past 'report cards,' while newcomers are struggling to provide a basis for why they won't be like the old ones. Voters here have primarily made four issues their 'bargaining points': the unfinished state of the Kamala Bridge, land ownership deeds for the landless, fertilizer for farmers, and paved roads in every village.

Locals are greatly angered that the bridge over the Kamala River, connecting Siraha and Dhanusha under the Postal Highway, has not been completed even after 14 years have passed. Pravin Yadav, a young local from Siraha Municipality-6, Basbitta, says, "Leaders use this bridge issue to garner votes in every election. The bridge collapsed before it could be completed, but no one was held accountable. Now we want to see vehicles running on the bridge, not just its foundation stone being laid. Votes will go to whoever provides a concrete timeline."

Candidates visiting Musahar and Dalit settlements in Bhagwanpur, Lahan, Dhanaigadhi Mai, Golbazar, and Navarajpur areas are being questioned about land deeds. Ramasufal Saday, a leader of the Musahar community, says, "Our generations have spent their lives on this soil, but there isn't a single dhur of land deed in our name. Every time, they fill out forms promising to distribute land deeds, but no one knows where those forms disappear after the election. This time, we are demanding rights, not just paper."

Political analyst and Dalit activist Rajesh Vidrohi characterizes this election atmosphere as an 'uprising of the neglected class.' According to him, Dalit, landless, and marginalized communities in Siraha are no longer willing to remain mere voting machines. Vidrohi says, "Politics has been played in the name of Dalits and the landless for decades, but their standard of living remains the same. The tradition of collecting votes by promising land deeds and then forgetting them after gaining power is going to face a major setback this time. Voters are now assessing candidates not by their faces, but by their honesty and past work style. This is not just opposition to one party, but a warning issued by conscious citizens against years of political deception." According to him, this political awakening among the Musahar and other Dalit communities appears capable of disrupting the traditional balance of power.

Not receiving chemical fertilizers during the planting season in the Terai, considered the granary, is a permanent pain for the farmers here. Farmer Ramvriksha Yadav of Sukhipur expresses his anger, saying, "We don't get fertilizer when it's time to plant crops, and we don't get a fair price when selling paddy. Leaders give big speeches but cannot manage a single fertilizer depot. Now we don't want the candidate's face; we want a commitment to bring water to our fields and fertilizer to our sacks."

The dilapidated condition of roads in rural areas has greatly irritated voters this time. Locals allege that roads connecting inner villages to market areas have merely served as a means to sustain party cadres in the name of maintenance for decades. Locals have warned candidates that the dust in winter and mud in monsoon are causing health problems.

Local residents say, "Gravel is laid on our village roads every year, but it washes away with the first rain. Are they here to build the road or to finish the budget?" They are now demanding a guarantee of long-term and quality paved roads from candidates, not just promises of minor repairs.

Human rights activist Rajkumar Raut, a local of Lahan, analyzes this issue, saying, "The game of confusing voters with patchwork work and finishing budgets by laying gravel only before elections will no longer work. The development has failed to gain momentum due to extreme corruption and commission culture in road construction. Voters are now seeking not just paved roads, but a concrete plan for transparency and corruption-free local governance in the construction process." According to Raut, questioning the quality of road construction and demanding technical details shows a significant increase in awareness towards good governance at the local level.

Seeing this attitude from the voters, candidates from old parties have started carrying lists of some of the work they have done in the past. They are explaining that some work was halted due to 'lack of time' or 'technical problems.' On the other hand, candidates from new parties are presenting themselves as an alternative, accusing the old parties of being the cause of all these irregularities.

Civic leader Arjun Thapaliya says, "Voters have transformed from 'subjects' to 'conscious citizens.' They have made up their minds to vote above caste, religion, and party lines for development and good governance. This is a positive aspect for democracy." The situation this time, where voters are making leaders appease them, and leaders must provide logical answers to every question, has made the election results more interesting and difficult to predict.