Gopal Sharma and Janardan Sharma, who had once collaborated in the same party and organization, competed in this election. After the former Maoists united with various parties to form the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), Gopal remained in this party, while Janardan did not join the unity and went towards forming the Progressive Democratic Party (PRALOPA). After this, the paths of these two former colleagues diverged.

And in this election, both of them contested the election from the same constituency but from different parties. Although Janardan Sharma had the lead at the beginning of the vote counting, Gopal continued to lead. Initially, there was competition between Gopal and Janardan, but Gopal won by a margin of 4,948 votes over Congress candidate Raju KC.

Around 2046 BS, Gopal Sharma was only 12 years old. Democracy had just emerged in the country. At that time, a kind of stir arose in his mind, the elegance of change reached his mind and heart. At that time, he began his political journey by raising the pen-star flag of the then student organization ANRFSU.

He took the oath of change under the red flag by assuming the responsibility of the joint secretary of the ANRFSU co-unit committee at Sheetal Madhyamik School in Chaurjahari, Rukum. And so began his journey from Gopal Sharma to becoming ‘Comrade Anal’. His contact name during the then ‘People’s War’ was ‘Anal’, meaning ‘Comrade Anal’.

Ward No. 5 Born 48 years ago today in Lahresimal, Sharma became the unit president of the ANRFSU in the same school in 2048 BS, became a member of the Rukum District Committee in 2051 BS, a member of the District Committee in 2053 BS, and a member of the Central Committee and Rapti Zonal In-charge in 2054 BS. In addition, when he was 22 years old, he became the central vice-president of the Akhil Krantikari in 2056 BS and a member of the Rukum District Committee and area in-charge of the then CPN-Maoist.

When the foundations of the then state power were being shaken by the roar of the 'People's War' in the country, and when the slogan of change was being echoed from village to city, he kept himself afloat in the flames of the movement and continued to fulfill all the responsibilities he received. In the meantime, Sharma left student politics in 2060 BS and entered party politics full-time.

He has a history of being a district committee member and area in-charge of the CPN-Maoist in 2056, a member of the special sub-regional bureau in 2057 and shortly after that, he was transferred to the Bheri-Karnali regional bureau, a special district in-charge under the Bheri-Karnali regional bureau from 2058 to 2060 and also responsible for the Gandak region, in-charge of Banke and Bardiya districts under the Bheri-Karnali regional bureau from 2060 to 2062 and transferred to the Adar Area Special Bureau from 2062 Magh and served as the secretary of Rukum district until 2064 and as the head of the election mobilization committee in the first Constituent Assembly elections in 2064.

After this, Sharma was the district in-charge of the then Unified CPN-Maoist from 2065 to 2066, secretary of the Magarat State Office from 2066 to 2069, district president from 2071 to 2075 and also became a central member of the Unified CPN-Maoist in 2071.

In 2073, he became a member of the Politburo of the CPN (Maoist Center) and the District Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) of Rukum West after the unification in 2075. At this time, he was also given the responsibility of the central member of the CPN, but he said that he would not be in a double responsibility and handed over the responsibility to other colleagues.

After the CPN split in 2077 and the Maoist Center was reorganized in its previous form, he became the central member of the CPN Maoist Center and the coordinator of the District Coordination Committee until 2078. And from 2079 to date, he has been in the responsibility of the party's central member.

Gopal Sharma, who saw the glimmer of change in the periphery of 2046, suffered the wrath of the 'people's war'. Initially, he raised the issue of educational reform as a student leader, but with the emergence of armed struggle and people's movement, he raised his voice in the slogan of changing the country.

After this, Sharma was elected as the Karnali Provincial Member of Parliament in the Provincial Assembly elections held in 2074 BS and became the Finance Minister of the Karnali Provincial Government in 2078 BS. He says that he tried his best to erase the marks of underdevelopment in Karnali during his tenure in the Provincial Assembly and the government.

‘While I was in charge, I took it as an important opportunity to serve the people by making full use of it,’ he says, ‘All the responsibilities I have received from childhood to now were the demands of time rather than my desire, desire and choice. And the result of my efficiency and competence.’