There is an election atmosphere in the decade. Political scientists call elections a festival. A festival is a special occasion to express happiness, enthusiasm, and collective joy. In it, people get out of the hustle and bustle of daily life and enjoy themselves through dance, singing, fairs, festivals, art, culture, and mutual harmony. However, looking at our election atmosphere, the image of such a festival is not as much in imagination as it is in reality.

Here, political drama and acting are staged more than celebrations. Nepal's election competition is not just about false promises and acting, it also includes a competition to tarnish the image of the competitor. And, that style has become a special weapon of the election. 

By including propaganda, media footage, social media posts, and various strategies to sway public opinion, leaders who claim to brighten our country are patiently working to expose the failures of their competitors to make them appear weak and to raise doubts in the trust of the people. Thus, the election field is not just a matter of plan implementation and development, but also a stage for strategies to destroy the competitor and an image war. 

To silence those who question such behavior, the argument that 'elections are a competition, a battle' has always been put forward. They are using the saying 'Everything is fair in love and war' as a shield. However, politics is neither love nor war. Politics is a serious responsibility towards the country and the people. Here, morality is a bigger issue than winning or losing, responsibility is a bigger issue than maneuvering. Where there is responsibility, there is no place for shame, acting, and confusion.

Instead of saying ‘competition is an indispensable condition for elections’, the minds ready to take the reins of the country should understand that ‘it is a simple and transparent means used to make society more dynamic.’ They should understand that competition, whether it is an individual or a society, is the energy that moves both forward, a kind of engine. The candidates who have entered the electoral fray should be the engineers who drive that engine. There should be enthusiasm during the election celebrations that ‘now the country will change its face’. And, a ray of hope should be lit on the faces of the people. But, whenever I 

observe this atmosphere, I see— the incomprehensible language and gestures of the election candidates, the dirty faces of the people trapped in despair. They are going through a state of extreme confusion. And, the tears mixed with tears that escaped after seeing his amazing activities have become the real voice of today's election atmosphere. 

It is said that politics is a dirty game. However, the current electoral scenario of our country shows that this saying has changed and become 'politics is a fun game' in Nepal. The pace of development is as slow as a snail. The leaders themselves have become like snails clinging to the tree called power. The country's resources and resources kept getting damaged 

, but there was no visible change in the results. This explosion of dissatisfaction led to the Falgun-21 election. However, the question still remains- Where is the salt to remove those snails? Or are preparations being made to hand over the stump called the country to future generations by adding more snails?

According to Ann McClintock in her essay ‘Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising’, politicians use various propaganda techniques to influence the thinking of the people. Sometimes it is like brainwashing and they serve the purpose of turning public opinion in their favor. Perhaps now another technique has been added to that list – performance art. In this art, some leaders go to the election area, carry sugarcane, drive a tractor, ride a bicycle, cook jerry and make videos of all these scenes and broadcast them on social media. Clothing, hairstyle and even speech have now become weapons of propaganda. Leaders appear in saris with the blood of injured youths in the movement stained with their shoes, sometimes they have hairstyles like Indian women leaders and are dressed in saris. Sometimes they tie a gamcha on their heads to spread the illusion that they belong to the same community. 

While watching their performances, questions keep coming to my mind—if imitating a particular language insults the community that speaks that language, then is it an honor or an insult to dress like a religion, caste, or community just to win an election? Such behavior is no different from a stand-up comedian's attempt to create low-level humor.

Is politics a field of responsibility or a stage for acting? If you look at the behavior, attire, and activities of the candidates who have entered the election fray, it is clear—they are practicing only to mislead the people, to ensure victory only through acting. This does not show their real ability or seriousness towards the problems of the people. The practice of imitating foreign leaders to strengthen their image has also become a common sight. Thus, the election campaigns of leaders are limited to only demonstrations and social media posts. While the real problems of the people remain unresolved.

We must understand—the meaning of leadership is not limited to acting and propaganda. A leader must have the ability to plan, raise resources, and implement. People's trust is not built on promises and appearances alone, but on real work and results. A leader who has a strong memory, strong morale, and considers serving the people his religion and duty is the one who is capable of making a lasting contribution to the development of the country.

What we need is not dreams - a realistic plan, not political pomp - result-oriented work, not fake acting - a commitment to serving the people. On this basis, we can build the future of the country. In the context of this drama, I am looking for a leader who is grounded in reality, who grows real crops on real land. You are probably also trying to participate in this election festival with the same desire.

What are our leaders doing at a time when they should say, 'I run the country, I will solve the problems of the area where I was elected'? This question has made every conscious citizen suffocate. Now the time has come - not only citizens, but also workers should ask their leaders the first question - what are the problems in our constituency? What is the solution to it? Where does the source come from? No one wants dreams without sources. We want to live in the open courtyard of reality, not in the palace of dreams. We want to breathe development.