Veteran Politician Bhim Rawal Loses Parliament Seat in Achham-1 By Narrow Margin

Dhangadhi. Leader Bhim Rawal, known for his five-decade-long political legacy, the status of former Deputy Prime Minister, and his staunch stance on national issues, has seen his parliamentary journey halted.

The results of the House of Representatives election in Achham-1 did not favor him this time. He was defeated by a slim margin.

According to the final results announced on Saturday, Rawal of the CPN (Communist Party) was defeated by Bharat Bahadur Swar of the Nepali Congress by a difference of 526 votes.

However, the reaction given by Rawal immediately after his defeat sent a message that his morale remains unshaken despite losing the election. After the final election results were made public, Rawal accepted the defeat with ease through a video message on social media.

He interpreted the 10,223 votes he received not just as arithmetic but as the invaluable asset of the people.

'The deep love and support shown by the people of Achham remain firmly in my heart,' Rawal stated, 'As a result of this support, I have received your precious 10,223 votes at the final moment of the election. By a margin of 526 votes, I will not be able to formally present your voice in parliament.'

Rawal claimed that although he technically lost the election, he has not lost his political agenda. 'I am not shaken in the least from the resolution I made to move forward in the policy-making level in line with the interest of this country and the sentiments of the people of Achham,' he said.

This electoral battle in Achham-1 was like a tough nut to crack for Rawal. On one side was the organizational strength of his long-contributing old party, CPN-UML, working against him, and on the other side was the Nepali Congress.

While Congress's Bharat Bahadur Swar secured victory by obtaining 10,759 votes, Rawal had to settle for 10,223 votes.

He managed to secure over 10,000 votes despite competing against rivals such as CPN-UML's Deepak Bahadur Saud, RSP's Omprakash Rawal, and RPP's Lokendra Bahadur Shah, who entered the fray from a new party.

Consoling his disheartened cadres over his defeat, Rawal praised the CPN (Communist Party) warriors for demonstrating great courage and valor.

Rawal said, 'We will never let the flag of justice, truth, and national independence that we have held in this political journey be lowered. No one should be disheartened by this momentary defeat.'

He declared that he would cherish the votes given by the people as an asset and would continue to fight strongly for Nepal's rights and interests, even if it meant from the streets.

Rawal, born in Achham in 2013 BS, has had a turbulent political journey. Entering parliamentary politics in 2051 BS, he served as Minister of State for Tourism, Home Minister, and eventually Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister. Having won the Vice-Chairmanship with the highest votes in the 2071 CPN-UML General Convention, Rawal was gradually marginalized within the CPN-UML due to ideological and stylistic differences with Chairman KP Sharma Oli.

His rebellion, which began after his ticket was snatched for the 2079 election, ultimately led to his expulsion from the party and the formation of a new party. He returned to his old constituency after running the 'Matribhumi Jagaran Abhiyan' (Motherland Awakening Campaign) and joining the new party in 2082 BS.

This election was an opportunity for Rawal to prove his existence. Although the door to parliament is closed, he has clearly indicated that his political journey will continue.

'We will meet again in some phases of our political journey in the coming days,' he concluded.