Defeating Congress candidate Manoj Gurung by a three-fold margin, he entered the House of Representatives without a vote.
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It is not easy to establish yourself in politics through social service. But Bina Gurung, the candidate of the National Independent Party (NISP) from Kaski Constituency No. 3, has made that seemingly easy journey possible through her work, determination and public service. She achieved a historic victory in the Kaski-3 House of Representatives election by getting three times more votes than her competitors.
She was elected by defeating her competitor, Manoj Gurung of the Nepali Congress, by a margin of 24,970 votes. She received 37,750 votes, while Manoj Gurung of the Nepali Congress received 12,780 votes. Damodar Poudel Bairagi of the UML, who was elected to the constituency in 2079, came third this time. He received only 7,906 votes. Out of a total of 1,756 voters in the constituency, 65,407 or 60.81 percent of the voters exercised their franchise. Out of which 30,909 were men, 34,497 were women and 1 other voter. 2,758 votes were invalid. Notably, the number of female voters outnumbered that of male voters. Candidates from 16 parties were in the fray here.
Born in Parbat and making Pokhara her workplace, 53-year-old Bina Gurung did not suddenly enter politics. The foundation of her political journey is based on decades of social activism and community leadership. As the founding president of Sanjeevani Didi Bahini Sangh Nepal, she has worked tirelessly at the grassroots level for women's unity and empowerment. As the former president of Lions Club of Pokhara Sirjana Chautari and senior advisor of Lions Club District 325, she has run many educational, health and economic development programs in Pokhara and surrounding communities.
Her social network is extensive. Central member of Tamu Dhin Nepal, life member and trustee of Tamu Cultural Foundation Nepal, life member of Himali Cultural Family Nepal, advisor of Sirjana Sansar Koseli Ghar and Kopila Nepal, all these roles have established her as a reliable identity of Pokhareli society. She converted that trust capital into votes in this election.
Gurung, who is not limited to the social sphere, is equally active in the business world. As a member of the board of directors of Panchase Cable Car, she has contributed to the development of tourism infrastructure, and as the vice-chairman of Golden Cooperative, she has been strengthening local economic cooperation. The international experience and perspective she has gained by visiting countries such as Australia, Japan, Thailand, UAE, UK, India, Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong have become a source of additional strength for her. She could not complete her formal studies beyond grade 12.
After joining the National Independent Party (NISP), she took on the responsibility of Gandaki Province Treasurer. As the only female candidate from the party's Gandaki Province, she contested the election from Kaski-3, not relying solely on personal popularity, but by making the real problems of the people an issue. She will be the only woman to directly represent Gandaki in the House of Representatives.
Women's empowerment was at the center of her election agenda. She has built her future agenda on these three pillars: economic self-reliance, social equality and expanding women's access to leadership. 'I have moved forward with a firm determination to empower women economically and socially, fully utilize their potential and ensure their access to leadership,' she said after her victory.
Gurung, who has worked for women on the ground for decades, is now ready to fight for policy change from the stage of Parliament. 'I came into politics with the intention of serving the people rather than taking any political advantage and sitting on a swivel chair, and wiping the tears of the parents I see while walking around this village,' she said after her victory. 'I have filed the petitions. I will look at them one by one in my free time. I will convey their voices to Parliament. We have come to work. We will show results through work.' At the ceremony to receive the certificate immediately after the victory was announced, she became emotional as she remembered the martyrs of the Gen-G movement and their families.
