Rastriya Swatantra Party's Asha Jha Secures Unexpected Victory in Morang-5 Amidst Strong Competition

Biratnagar. In Morang Constituency No. 5, it was widely predicted before the election that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) would not be competitive. There were several reasons for this. The first reason was that Pramod Kumar Mandal, who contested the election from RSP in 2079 BS, launched a campaign against his own candidate. Another reason was that RSP's candidate, Asha Jha, was not well-known in the area.

The third reason was that candidates such as former CPN minister Shivkumar Mandal, Yogendra Mandal (Chairman of Rastriya Urjashil Party, who previously won as an independent MP), Rajkumar Yadav of JSP, Phulkumar Lalwani of Congress, and Manoj Agrawal of UML were competing in that constituency. Few had predicted that a Madhesi woman like Asha Jha would win the election amidst these heavyweight candidates. However, by the time the final results were announced, Jha had surpassed all competitors by a large margin and was garlanded with victory.

She won by securing 30,434 votes. Congress candidate Phulkumar Lalwani came in second place in that constituency, securing 9,415 votes, while Rajkumar Yadav of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal secured 8,747 votes, placing third. CPN leader and former minister Shivkumar Mandal received 8,614 votes, Manojkumar Agrawal of CPN-UML received 6,945 votes, and Yogendra Mandal of Rastriya Urjashil Party received 4,199 votes. Yogendra Mandal, who previously contested as an independent candidate, had won from this constituency.

Who is Jha?

Asha Jha of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who triumphed over traditional political forces, has emerged from a middle-class farmer and employee family.

Jha, a permanent resident of Biratnagar-13, spent her childhood here. She is the daughter and daughter-in-law of a farming family. Since her father was a government employee, she received a disciplined and educational environment from a young age. Even when a narrow mindset prevailed in society against educating daughters, her father encouraged her to pursue higher education. Jha has a Bachelor's degree in Public Health.

Before entering politics, Jha was known as a dedicated health worker (health volunteer) and activist. She spent over 16 years serving in the health sector in Biratnagar Metropolitan City. Working in the health sector gave her the opportunity to closely observe the suffering of the common people and the state machinery.

In addition, she remained active in campaigns to enhance human ethics and self-confidence by being associated with the religious organization Akhil Vishwa Gayatri Parivar. Her contribution has also been significant in the areas of protecting citizens' rights and environmental conservation (tree plantation) through civil society.

Jha, who worked independently in social service for a long time, changed her perspective on politics after the 'Jail Bharo' movement and the recent political instability. Explaining the reason for entering politics, she said, 'The parties of yesterday had become a swamp for the people, where only trapping the public occurred. To make the country smile and save the people, I had to choose a new and alternative path.' Her vision aligned with the agenda of the RSP, leading her to join the party, where she succeeded in winning the trust of the people in a short time.

After reaching parliament, she stated that she would make the unemployment problem her main issue. She is concerned about the exodus of youth from Morang-5 to foreign countries. She has committed to creating employment opportunities for the youth within the country by developing factories and industries, modernizing and scientificizing agriculture, and arranging for employment according to skills for both educated and uneducated manpower. 'I will make what I have said possible within the next 4-5 years,' she said.

Another interesting aspect of Asha Jha is her professional identity. She is also the first female construction entrepreneur in the Madhes region. For a long time, she worked in the construction business through her own company.

Her husband, Amrit Kumar Jha, a social worker and businessman himself, has been a great support in her success. Jha has three children. Her eldest daughter is in the final year of Civil Engineering, her younger daughter has completed IT, and her son is studying in Grade 10.

Asha Jha, who has gathered experience in health service, civil society, and construction business, has now reached parliament as the voice of Morang. Her political future will be shaped by the role she plays in the coming days for the development of her constituency and the eradication of unemployment.