The election competition here has become interesting after Balendra Shah resigned from the post of mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, saying he would defeat KP Sharma Oli, who was the Prime Minister during the Gen-G movement, from his own constituency and reached Jhapa-5.

UML Chairman Oli, who has been winning continuously for 6 times except 2064, and leader Balendra, who emerged as mayor three years ago, are currently focusing on Damak and campaigning for the election. Here is a conversation for Kantipur with UML Chairman Oli, who is in his home district of Jhapa during the election campaign, by Krishna Acharya and Gaurav Pokharel :

In the previous elections in Jhapa-5, everyone used to easily say that UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli would win, but this time people have started to doubt, do you think so?

You have come to this constituency, study for yourself. People who are not voters, who have come from outside in buses, cars and bikes, and who are outside the constituency, do not get votes. Such a crowd only works for the media, voting does not work. As a representative of the people, I have worked for the rejuvenation of not only this region and district, but also the country. I have worked for infrastructure, human resources, economic and social development.

I also got the opportunity to lead the entire country as a representative of the people of this region. I became the Prime Minister when the country was in a difficult situation and raised the country's economic situation. Everyone knows that when I was the Prime Minister, I increased the economic growth rate above 7 percent and took the country towards modernization. Many paved roads were built rapidly.

Even places that were considered remote became accessible. I brought the campaign to remove human traffickers from the roads in Nepal. We have achieved many successes by putting forward the concept of Digital Nepal with policies to increase the use of technology in production. We have rolled out 4G across the country.

Even though you claim to have done development work, the outgoing Mayor of Kathmandu, Balendra Shah, has registered his candidacy to challenge you. There is a crowd in his favor. Don't you feel pressure from that?

What do you mean by his doing this work, this history, this contribution, this sacrifice? Is there anything that he has done to bring democracy to this country, to bring development? If there is, I am not aware of it. Instead, he must have driven a bulldozer in the squatter settlements. People should not have been allowed to live near the river banks. Now the squatters are terrified - thinking that someone has come to Kathmandu to drive a bulldozer and make the squatters cry. The people who work on the carts are also terrified.

Damak is one of the cleanest cities, it is one of the most organized cities. Did he come here to learn rather than do anything? He did not seem to have developed anything in Kathmandu. He was seen saying that he built the roads and bridges built by others. In fact, it was seen that the money there was frozen, distributed to the wrong places and got into unnecessary trouble. Sometimes, trouble and fights were seen in the cow shelter that the Marwaris had been running for more than 90 years. I do not want to go into such trouble. But the people here are aware.

He questioned the activities of the then mayor of Kathmandu, Balendra Shah, from the squatter settlements to Dharamshala. But there are more questions than that on you too. Isn't there an accusation that you ordered the shooting of young children?

He was also the mayor of Kathmandu. He certainly did not give the order to shoot. It would be better and easier than saying that the Prime Minister gave the order to shoot. It would be amazing if he showed me carrying a machine gun and firing a shot using AI. It would be amazing if this same person killed him.

But, he was saying that it would be fun to defeat the UML chairman who led the government during the Gen-G movement in his own district, right? He also said that he would go to Jhapa-5, okay.

Why do you think he came to Jhapa-5?

Ravi's cleverness. He has a habit of being cunning, Ravi's cleverness led him here and trapped him. He said that he would make him the Prime Minister later, but he has been put in a hole from which he cannot get out.

They have done research and are saying that they will win. On what basis are you saying that the UML will win and get a majority in such a situation? You haven't done any research either, have you?

Don't we know how to do research, don't we know how to ask people, don't we know how to draw conclusions after asking, don't we know how to analyze them, don't we use laptops, don't we use phones? Don't we know what kind of bird research is? Are we primitive people who don't believe in data? What are they thinking? We are people who have led the country for a few years. We are people who have modernized the country. We are people who have brought the concept of Digital Nepal. We are people who have come up with 'innovation' work and new development technologies.

What does your study show? Will there be a wide difference of opinion like before or will there be a competitive situation? What will happen?

It will have no effect.

On the day of candidacy registration, there was a big crowd towards Balendra, right?

I also saw it. My mouth was watering. As my car was moving, I opened the window and looked, looking a little better. There were completely unfamiliar faces on this side. They were rude, impolite and uncivilized people who spoke at will. I have walked my own path, what kind of civilization is it to speak out? These people are not from Damak, people from Damak are not like that. They do not speak like that. They are not loose. The custom of speaking like that is not in Damak. The custom of finding excuses and physical attacks is not here. Here the elections used to start and end peacefully. But here too, extremely obscene gestures were made, and people spoke out.

You were talking about security challenges for the elections. Are you referring to a similar incident or are there other information?

I have seen that this kind of trend may increase a little. How were students called in Kathmandu? They say that children were killed at that time. But, is it not a crime to use children in the movement? They have been told to bring a bag from school, there should be an umbrella in the bag, there should be water, come in uniform, the police cannot do anything.

This is how the students were brought. Despite the miking that the protest was hijacked in the afternoon, vandalism and breaking walls began at the International Conference Center. Do children break walls? Do they take iron cutting tools? Have children taken tools from home? If children are used there in any way, it is the fault of the users. The evil attempt to involve innocent children in criminal acts is itself a social crime.

After creating a provocative atmosphere and trying to burn the parliament building and creating a situation where the police are also attacked, the police would open fire. Those who are sitting there for security are ordered to 'stand by'. However, they needed a pretext to set fire, they did not care about people's lives. They said, let's find an excuse to set fire. An attempt was made on 23 Bhadra for that. Using that as an excuse, arson and vandalism took place on 24 Bhadra. And they are going against people like us who want peace and order, people not to die, and 'casualties' should not occur. Does the Prime Minister order the police to open fire?

The Prime Minister who holds the reins of power is regularly reported. Shouldn't moral responsibility be taken after such an incident?

Those who create a state of terror that prevents the state from functioning should not be held responsible, but should we who have been deceived into believing that it will be peaceful take responsibility? Should those at the top of the government know where and what is happening, even if there is an accident? Everyone has their own duties. He knows about the work within his responsibility. He says under what circumstances the work was done, why it was done. The Prime Minister never orders the police to shoot anywhere.

As for the instructions, everyone has said that the Prime Minister had repeatedly warned that peace and order should be maintained and that no damage should occur, but we could not stop it. This is what the police said. The next day, there was arson. In fact, what happened was a planned crime committed by anti-national criminals. Your question also seems to be trying to make those same people heroes. In fact, the country should be outraged, in such matters.

After the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra, you yourself stayed under the protection of the Nepal Army. You used to say that you would not return and hold elections later. But, now you have also registered your nomination. The whole country is in the midst of elections. How do you feel?

The morale of the police has not risen. Yesterday, I saw the situation at Damak police station. It was completely set on fire. The police were attacked and beaten. They were beaten and thrown into the drain. The locals had ‘rescued’ them from the drain at night. They had brought people wearing police uniforms to set the fire. Some of the police’s lost weapons, SLRs, have not been recovered yet.

If the weapons have not been returned, then how can the peace and security situation be considered safe? The weapons must have been stolen by the criminals. He probably did not steal them to keep in the prayer room and worship. That is why the peace and security situation is challenging. There may have been a slight improvement compared to that time. But the necessary improvement has not been made.

After you yourself came and registered your nomination, do you think that now the election will be held on the scheduled date?

There is still doubt. Elections are one thing. However, we have also seen the current behavior towards the Nepali Congress. The way a ‘democratic’ party with a history was treated will become ‘recorded history’ for the future in Nepal. Democracy is not just a concept of a system, it is also a matter of process.

There is no system without a process. Operating the system is also a process. I don’t want to go too far here, but I think a historical party like the Congress should be united. But what has happened has happened. Now it is the court’s job to decide and hear the case. I believe that the court will make an appropriate and proper decision. My conclusion is that the Nepali Congress should be strong, consolidated and its role should be effective in favor of democracy and in the interest of the country.

According to the Congress statute, 54 percent of the members requested a special general convention and 56 percent of the delegates of the general convention attended and elected a new leadership. The Election Commission has given legitimacy to the process. The court also did not issue an interim order. You have also said that if Sher Bahadur Deuba had been the president of the Congress, he would have believed what he said and opposed the situation after the special general convention, thinking that an alliance could be formed?

When questioning a pending case in court, you do it as if it has already been decided. I want to see a united, consolidated, strong and robust Congress. In terms of whether it would have been better if Sher Bahadur Deubaji had been the president, I agreed with him last year. Before that, we were in competition. But I did not wish anyone harm. Sher Bahadurji was physically attacked, such behavior is behavior that I disliked and hated.

Did I hate that behavior because I could have united with him? The issue of whether unity will happen or not is in its place. Issues of human feelings, social dignity, humanity and social civilization should not be linked with other issues. What I mean is, the Congress should not have gone to court, it should have found ways to reconcile. What does it mean that we must unite with the Congress? If the Congress does not have an alliance, what should I not do? We do not behave in an antagonistic manner with democratic forces.

You said that there should be reconciliation in the Congress. However, there is a contradiction within the UML. You are saying that you did not give tickets to Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai, Binda Pandey, Gokul Baskota, etc., who are competing with you from different groups, right?

Ishwor Pokharel, who is competing with me for the presidency, has become a candidate from Kathmandu-5. Surendra Pandey and Yogesh Bhattarai are not in a position to win this time. Binda Pandey has no basis. Having differences with me is not a basis for getting candidacy. We should see what the situation is in the constituency, what it is. Whoever is in a position to win, will get a ticket.

Those who are not in a position to win, those who have played a negative role, are not a 'guarantee' of a ticket. Whether they win or not, it is not a matter of giving tickets. Those who have a chance of winning, have got them. There is no opposition. Yogesh Bhattaraiji himself went to Kshitij Thebe's candidacy in Taplejung and said that we are united, we will not try to create a rift. That is the message that the party is united. Those friends who have not got the ticket also have a realistic assessment of the situation.

Gokul Baskota had won by a wide margin before. Is the reason why he did not get the ticket because he did not have a public base or is there something else?

Gokul Baskota got the ticket the previous time, he won. There is a difference between four years ago and the current situation, in the 'ground reality'. There may have been a difference in Mahesh Basnet's situation. There may have been a difference in Gokulji's situation. There may have been a difference in the public's perception. Gokulji brought a little more division in the cadres. The cadres there were united yesterday, did he create an awkward situation today when he divided them a little? Or was there dissatisfaction among the people with his work? Did it become difficult for the people to dislike him and vote? Such things may have been evaluated.

Do you think that whoever got it last year should get it? Question is? That is not the case now. If they won last time, it does not mean that they will definitely win this time too. A player is selected once, he may not be selected next time. The captain selects players by calculating the objective of making his team win.

Another question from the captain's perspective, you were trying to form an alliance or coalition with Sher Bahadur Deuba. However, now he is not participating in this election process. In this situation, what is the possibility of an electoral alliance with Congress, NCP, RPP or other forces other than him?

We do not have any animosity with patriotic, democratic and progressive forces. In such cases, an alliance can be formed, and can be done. It is a matter of how much is the interest of the person. We can also have an alliance with the interested forces.

Let's not go into specifics. Have you had any discussions with Congress President Gagan Thapa, NCP Coordinator Prachanda and RPP President Rajendra Lingden or any other leader about the issue of coordination? Is that place there or not? In Jhapa-5, you used to have coordination with RPP before, right?

Not for Jhapa-5, but we supported RPP as a nationalist force, at least in parliament. In 2074 BS, we were saved by giving them a seat. Later, their position was strengthened a little and we also tried to cooperate. We wanted Rajendra Lingdenji to win.

When they gave up their seats, they naturally also supported us. That is what happened. It should be understood correctly. It was not a transaction on an equal footing that we should at least make them present in parliament, nor was that kind of coordination formed. This time, there was no discussion on that issue. But there can be discussions with them and others as well. However, we have not moved forward with a policy that we should coordinate. However, we have moved forward without denying the possibility.

Are you also afraid of going to the elections without an alliance?

UML has no problem in bringing a majority. UML will bring more than 138 seats in this election. We are moving forward accordingly. We have a nationwide organization. A mass organization. However, people who have no party affiliation and are confused by ‘algorithms’, have said that they will win the elections by gathering ‘crows of the fog’.

Not only the RSVP, but also the outgoing mayor of Dharan, Hark Sampang, has said that he will bring a majority and become the Prime Minister. Didn’t he say that he will defeat both Balendra and Oli in Jhapa-5?

He has just launched a party. My best wishes – he should come to the stream of democracy. He is coming to the stream of patriotism. It seems that he is trying to come. It seems that he has said that there should be no foreign interference. That is a good aspect. He has also mentioned labor culture. Let's love labor, let's not just look abroad, let's live in this country, respect labor, work, and beautify the country.

But he is a person who has not done politics, has just entered politics, and the current situation has awakened his ambition. The youth who briefly joined the movement on 23 Bhadra are ready to become the Prime Minister, and who will be the ward member and chairperson? Everyone above the age of 21 has to be a minister. No one should sit below that. Those who are not of age do not get it, those who are of age do not look down on the Prime Minister and Minister. Journalists were doing journalism, anchoring news, now ministers.

You also made him the Deputy Prime Minister, right?

First, he formed a party, he appeared in Parliament. Then he was made due to the need of Parliament. Sometimes that happens. But now, journalists, scientists, and those in authority are all looking for the Prime Minister not by becoming a party, forming a party, or doing politics. At least Ravi Lamichhane had formed a party. What do I know about his relationship with the cooperative at that time?

You also brought up the topic of ‘algorithm’. Recently, you had asked for at least 10 ‘likes’ in a program. Do you think that UML is lagging behind in the ‘digital war’?

It is lagging behind a little, but it is not that UML is ignorant of the digital world, it is not that it is lagging behind. We have all kinds of ‘manpower’ from IT and digital engineers and content creators. We also have laptops and mobiles. They also say that this digital ‘campaign’ was started by UML itself. They used to associate it with UML as a cyber army. But we did not have money. That is why we cannot ‘boost’ it, we did not. Now we will ‘boost up’ it, using our own manpower.

So, will your election campaign focus on the streets this time or will you focus on the digital campaign?

We give importance to people.

Who will UML compete with?

UML will compete with Congress now. What happened in the Congress during the elections should not have happened. The Congress should have come in a strong manner but it did not come in that way. It is going into the upcoming elections with a controversial and divided mindset. This is not an easy matter. However, the burden of the attack has been borne by the UML. Therefore, it is a little easier for the Congress. Because, the ‘attack’ is not being made on the Nepali Congress. Whatever the Congress does now is acceptable. The attack on the UML is being made, the attack on the UML is being made.

Who is your competition in Jhapa-5?

There is no competition here. We will win by more than ‘double’.

Who will come closest? The Congress candidate or Balendra Shah of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or someone else?

Who is he (Balendra Shah) here? Who is he here? Someone brought from outside? Or who is he? What is he?

Is ‘KP Baa’ the one who sent him with the closest tabla?

That is happening. I said yesterday, if you need to find a place to live here, I will help. If you had met me after coming to my place and said, ‘I came to the polls, where should we live? What would be better?’ I would not have looked for it.

However, some voters say that KP Oli built roads but all development construction is at a standstill, that View Tower was not a priority at the moment but investments were made there, right?

When it reached the point of use, they set the View Tower on fire. In fact, the municipality opposed it. An IT hub can be built there because so many people are looking to work in IT. Such buildings are necessary for that, right? There is also a business tower in Bangkok. This is also a business complex. Is this a view tower? Is it a place to go up and look around? This is a business complex. There is also a business center in Malaysia. Why was it built? They would say. Now it is inevitable. It has become the identity and business center of Malaysia.

Our question is whether the priority should have been on increasing the services and facilities of the people, rather than that?

Without building a business center, without running a business, without creating a business, without spending money, where will you give the people a warm jacket and a warm jacket? How can you make a hut a house? How can you make a place where you burn firewood run on electricity? To improve the economic situation, business should be increased. For that, a business tower should be built. ‘Money transactions’ should be increased, employment opportunities should be created. If 100 youths are allowed to grow an IT hub on just two floors, employment opportunities would be created.

We have also asked the private sector to take them to the south and open industries. They have started the garment industry and shoe industry. Two to four hundred people have got direct employment. We are trying to develop an industrial zone here and provide employment to at least one lakh people. There is a problem with that. We have to break it and create an industrial zone here. We have to open eight big industrial zones across the country and make them hubs for big industries, educational hubs, health hubs, and yoga centers. For that, we have to be able to provide strength and vision.

Let me tell you, I am not addicted to any drug, I do not use marijuana, weed, alcohol, or cigarettes. I do not waste time. I work more than 18 hours a day in a ‘creative’ way.

But, I feel like I have an ‘addiction’, to talk nonsense. Many people say that, right?

Now I am suspicious of you. I have not said anything to anyone. I may be ‘addicted’ to work and study. But I am not ‘addicted’ to bad deeds. I may be greedy to build the country. I am not greedy to earn. I have not earned.