UML Vice-Chairman Poudel has served as a minister eight times since he began his parliamentary journey from Palpa in 2051 BS.
What you should know
UML Vice President Bishnu Prasad Poudel has made a comeback in Palpa Constituency No. 2, replacing UML youth leader Thakur Prasad Gaire, for the upcoming House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 2.
When the UML secretariat finalized the candidates on Saturday, Gaire dropped out after the name of UML Vice President Poudel was finalized among the four recommended from Palpa-2.
Gaire had previously won the House of Representatives election 2079 BS by securing 27,817 votes. His main competitor, Som Prasad Pandey, the candidate of the Unified Socialist Party (Congress-Maoist alliance), secured 23,851 votes.
Pandey had won the same constituency in the 2074 BS election with a margin of 10,000 votes (UML-Maoist alliance). Gaire got the opportunity to contest the election for the first time in 2079 BS.
The upcoming election to be held on Falgun 21 BS was not very exciting among the Palpalis, and after it was decided that Poudel would get the ticket, leaving Gaire aside, social media has suddenly heated up.
Some UML workers had also assessed Poudel's recommendation from the regional committee meeting as a ploy to not give tickets to the upcoming members of the House of Representatives since young leader Gaire had filed his candidacy for the post of secretary from the Ishwor Pokharel panel in the 11th general convention. How was the name of UML Vice President Poudel, who has been contesting elections from Rupandehi since 2056, recommended?
Poudel won the election in Rupandehi Constituency No. 2 with 27,165 votes in the 2079 election. His rival, National Independent Party candidate Ganesh Poudel, received 25,781 votes. The difference between them was only 1,366 votes.
Depicting the situation where he was struggling to win the election before, Poudel chose Palpa-2 this time considering it safe. Poudel was recommended by UML Palpa as the first candidate. Gaire's name was at the second position.
Poudel's ancestral home is Syangja. He migrated to Butwal. However, his current full residence is in Bhainsipati, Lalitpur.
After Gaire, who had not had an opportunity for years, was interrupted midway, UML workers in the district have expressed their dissatisfaction on social media.
UML Vice President Poudel was also recommended as a single candidate from Rupandehi-2. Rupandehi-2 includes wards 1 to 13 of Butwal Sub-metropolitan City, wards 1-4 of Sainamaina Municipality, and wards 1-6 of Tilottama Municipality.
UML Vice President Poudel has become a minister eight times since he started his parliamentary journey from Palpa in 2051 BS. In Palpa Constituency No. 1, the CPN-UML has decided to re-nominate Narayan Acharya, who won the 2079 BS election.
