Independent Winner Mahabir Pun Declines Victory Celebration in Myagdi, Citing Responsibility Over Festivity

Myagdi. In previous years, the market area in Myagdi used to become chaotic due to the flamboyant 'victory celebrations' by the winners after elections. It was an old tradition for elected candidates and party leaders and cadres to shout slogans targeting rival parties and competitors, accompanied by severe noise pollution. However, a different practice was observed in the victory of independent candidate Mahabir Pun, who won by a huge margin in the House of Representatives election on Saturday morning.

As soon as his victory was confirmed, Pun issued a message urging voters and well-wishers not to hold any extravagant victory rallies or celebrations. After receiving the certificate of election for the House of Representatives member at the Office of the Chief Returning Officer, voters and well-wishers gathered on the street to congratulate him.

Addressing the voters, Pun stated that winning or losing in an election is a normal process, and he views his victory not as a celebration but as a responsibility towards the people. "My main objective in contesting was to reform the education policy. The people voted for me, and I was elected. Now, there is no question of celebrating; it is about carrying the heavy burden of responsibility. I am grateful to all the voters who participated in the voting," Pun said.

Mentioning that some candidates hold rallies after victory in elections, he stated that getting carried away by victory and getting panicked by defeat are both wrong. "Many voters are urging me to hold a victory celebration rally in Beni Bazaar after winning the election. Some friends have asked why I wouldn't celebrate such a big win. But I have publicly announced that I will not hold a victory celebration rally," Pun said.

He opined that since only one candidate wins and others are defeated in an election, the winner must respect the sentiments of all candidates. Stating that the extravagance of victory celebrations should not make anyone feel the pain of winning or losing, MP Pun said he would not hold a victory celebration out of respect for all candidates.

Mentioning that victory celebrations consume a lot of time and money for many citizens, MP Pun urged that precious time should be utilized in the right place. Furthermore, he committed to moving forward in collaboration with candidates, political parties, and stakeholders for the development of the district.

Pun, who is also the outgoing Minister for Education, Science and Technology, won by a margin nearly three times that of his closest competitor. He secured 22,850 votes, while Hari Krishna Shrestha of CPN (UML) received 7,919 votes. Similarly, Karna Bahadur Bhandari of Nepali Congress received 6,676, Arjun Thapa of CPN received 3,529, and Yubaraj Roka of RSP received 1,530 votes.

The Chief Returning Officer, Suryabahadur Thapa, formally presented the certificate of victory to the newly elected House of Representatives member Pun. In Myagdi, which has a single constituency, 12 candidates, including the independent one, were in the electoral contest. Out of 86,397 registered voters in the district, 46,215 votes were cast.