Sagar Dhakal, leader of the National Independent Party (NIP), who is preparing to contest elections from Dadeldhura, has decided not to contest the elections from there after Sher Bahadur Deuba sidelined him along with the political turmoil within the Nepali Congress.

Talking to Kantipur, Dhakal said that after Gagan Thapa came to the leadership of the Congress, he came to the conclusion that he would not contest the election from Dadeldhura. He informed that he had also discussed the matter with party president Ravi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah.

Terming Deuba's exit as a 'fallen tree', Dhakal made it clear that he would not contest from Dadeldhura even if Deuba contests. He said, 'The entire generation of grandfathers has fallen. After Sher Bahadur Deuba left the party and Gagan Thapa is in a position to give the ticket, why should I go to Dadeldhura?'

Stating that discussions are now underway within the party on where to contest the election, he said that a decision will be made by Sunday. 'I will contest the election from either Rupandehi or Gulmi,' he said.

Stating that it was the need of the hour to field a candidate from Dadeldhura in the previous election, Dhakal said that he would now continue to raise issues of the entire Far West, including Dadeldhura. ‘Even if I don’t go to Dadeldhura, I will raise issues there,’ he said.

Exactly four months before the 2079 Mangsir 4 election, Dhakal had written on Facebook— ‘I am going to Dadeldhura by taking a night bus.’ After that, Dhakal, who reached Dadeldhura and contested against the then Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, received 13,043 votes. Deuba won the election by getting 25,534 votes.