RSP's Ganesh Karki Defeats Nepali Congress Leader Dr. Sunil Sharma in Morang-3 Election

Biratnagar. Medical entrepreneur and Nepali Congress leader Dr. Sunil Sharma, who had established his empire in Morang Constituency-3 through philanthropic politics and business influence, was defeated by Ganesh Karki of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in this election.

Few predicted an RSP victory in that constituency before the election. Candidate Karki himself had stated while filing his nomination, 'Even though it is a risk zone, I have come to my birthplace.' Ultimately, Sharma, who had secured a comfortable victory with a margin of nearly 23,000 votes in the previous election, making it his safe stronghold, was defeated by Karki by a margin of 12,570 votes.

According to the final election results, RSP's Ganesh Karki won by securing 36,924 votes. His rival Sharma had to settle for 24,354 votes. Amir Magar of the Shram Sanskriti Party garnered 16,509 votes in this constituency. CPN-UML candidate Iron Kumar Rai, who was considered strong in this area previously, was reduced to only 7,752 votes.

Dr. Sharma had used health services as his main political weapon in Morang-3. The operator of Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar, he was providing dedicated wards, free treatment, and ambulance services for voters at the hospital. Sharma had announced that if he won this election, he would build a VIP cabin for the people of Constituency 3. However, the public did not fall for the lure of the VIP cabin, exercised their independence, and elected the RSP.

In the 2079 election, Sharma's 'medical card' was considered successful when he defeated UML's Bhanubhakta Dhakal by a large margin. But this time, voters separated health services from political issues. Limited roles within the party, controversial statements made from time to time, and the wave towards new faces worked against Sharma.

This victory is significant for Ganesh Karki, who built a rebel image by questioning party chairman Rabi Lamichhane within the party itself. Karki, who is also a film writer, was one of the strategists behind Balen Shah's election campaign in Kathmandu.

Karki, a local resident of Pathari Shanishchare in Morang, took the slogan of change and ideology to every village this time. The RSP brand and Karki's personal logical image attracted young and conscious voters. Karki made the question of policy and integrity a major issue against Sharma's politics of money and influence, which the voters of Morang-3 endorsed.

The fact that UML candidate Iron Kumar Rai was pushed to fourth place in Morang-3, once considered a stronghold of the UML, sends a serious signal to the major political parties. The UML, which was the second force in the previous election, being reduced to a position where it could not even cross 10,000 votes this time confirms the dissatisfaction within the organization.

Similarly, the more than 16,000 votes secured by Amir Magar show that voters are searching for forces that carry new and local issues as an alternative to traditional parties. The defeat of Sunil Sharma in Morang-3, considered a 'safe zone' for the Congress, sends a message that older parties will face greater crises in the coming days if they do not change their working style.