Karnali Province Representation Decreases in Proportional Representation Seats Following Recent Elections

Surkhet. The representation of Karnali Province in the House of Representatives through the proportional representation (PR) category has decreased in the recently concluded elections compared to the elections held in 079 BS.

In the 079 House of Representatives elections, Karnali had representation of 8 members under PR. This time, only 5 individuals have secured seats.

One representative each has been made a PR Member of Parliament from the older political parties Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), and the newer political parties Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Hark Sampang's Labor Culture Party. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), however, did not allocate a seat to Karnali under PR. It is speculated that since RPP won only one seat in the first-past-the-post category through Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi from Jumla, they did not include Karnali in their PR nominations.

The Nepali Congress, which received the highest number of votes in Karnali under PR with 141,233 votes, has made Kal Bahadur Sahakari from Kalikot an MP. In 079, Congress had nominated three women from Karnali as PR MPs. Sahakari, who became an MP this time, is a leader long active in Congress politics. Once considered a supporter of Sher Bahadur Deuba, it was rumored recently that he belonged to the Shekhar Koirala faction. He became an MP from the Khas-Arya male cluster.

He is the Vice-Chairman of the Congress Karnali Province Committee and is a leader who previously lost in the first-past-the-post elections. In 074, he contested the Provincial Assembly election from Kalikot (2) and was defeated by Mahendra Bahadur Shahi of the Maoist party.

He was also defeated in the District Development Committee Chairman election of 055 BS. He is a veteran leader who served as the District Chairman of Congress in Kalikot for two terms and also served as the District Chairman of the Red Cross. He was a teacher previously. Congress won 5 seats in the first-past-the-post category from Karnali and nominated one person under PR. Overall, Congress will have a representation of 6 members from Karnali in the House of Representatives.

CPN-UML has also nominated a PR MP from Kalikot. UML, which won only 1 seat in the first-past-the-post category, made Yashodakumari Baral a PR MP. In 079, UML, which had dropped to zero in first-past-the-post, had nominated two members as MPs because they received the highest number of PR votes.

However, this time UML slipped to third place in Karnali under PR, receiving 120,863 votes. There was speculation that Gorakh Bogati would become a PR MP from UML this time, as Bogati has been a Standing Committee member from Karnali and a perennial PR candidate in almost every election since 070. Ultimately, Yashodakumari succeeded in becoming an MP from the female Khas-Arya cluster.

RSP, which received more votes than UML and the Communist Party of Nepal, with 133,749 votes, included Sita Wadi from Surkhet in their PR list. Although her post-marriage residence is in Kathmandu.

RSP won the election in Surkhet-2 in the first-past-the-post category. Sita Wadi, who was included at number three in the Dalit cluster, is a resident of Jhupra Khola, Birendranagar Municipality-11. She studied at a hostel in Kathmandu with the support of an organization, and her marriage took place in Kathmandu. She came to Surkhet to participate in election campaigns during the election period. An relative of hers stated that all her documents, including citizenship, are from Surkhet. However, it is reported that her voter registration is in Kathmandu. Sita is also a social activist. According to RSP sources, she is a former activist of the Bibeksheel Party.

She was included in the PR list from Balen Shah's team. In 079, despite receiving fewer votes, RSP had made Binita Kathayat from Jumla a PR MP. Kathayat, who contested the first-past-the-post election this time, was defeated.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Nepal, which won 4 seats in the first-past-the-post category, has made Parbati BK from Jajarkot a PR MP. She became an MP from the Dalit female cluster. She is a full-time activist of the Maoist armed conflict and is also a central member of the party.

The CPN received 107,101 votes under PR, placing it fourth in Karnali. In the previous term, the Maoist party had nominated 1 PR MP from Karnali.

Hark Sampang's Labor Culture Party, which received only 4,657 votes from Karnali under PR, has nominated Radhika Ramtel from Surkhet as a PR MP. She was recommended from the Dalit female cluster.

However, the RPP, which received more votes than this party, did not nominate a PR MP from Karnali this time. In the previous term, RPP had nominated Anisha Nepali from Salyan as a PR MP. Nepali, who contested the first-past-the-post election this time, forfeited her deposit.