People involved in various professions and businesses have become candidates for the House of Representatives from Rupandehi this time. People involved in different professions and businesses for a long time have also become candidates for the first time.

Along with politics, those involved in various professions and businesses in the district have also got the opportunity to compete for the first time. Those who were deprived of becoming candidates after being active in the party for a long time have registered their nominations this time. Only a few candidates have repeated in the district. Most parties have given opportunities to new and young people.

New candidates are in the fray from the Congress, RPP and RSVP in Rupandehi-3. The Congress has fielded Sushil Gurung, the regional president of Rupandehi-3. Gurung, a resident of Siddharthnagar-1, is an active person in the social sector along with politics. Earlier, Congress central member Balkrishna Khand had been competing from here. ‘Since I am active in the social sector, I am aware of the problems here,’ said Gurung. ‘I will prepare the election agenda to solve those problems. The Congress has given opportunities to the youth, and a positive message has gone out to the voters.’

The RPP has fielded neurologist Lekhjung Thapa from Rupandehi-3. Thapa was previously announced as a candidate in the by-election scheduled for this constituency. This is the first time that Thapa has become a candidate for a member of the House of Representatives. Thapa said that he entered politics because radical changes are needed in the health and education sectors. ‘As a doctor, I am concerned about how to provide reliable medical services to the residents of the border areas of Rupandehi,’ he said. ‘I will emphasize the agenda of education, health and employment in the election as well.’

The RPP has fielded senior pilot Gaurav Bohara from Rupandehi-3. Gaurav is the eldest son of the late RPP leader Deepak Bohara, who won from this constituency in 2079. Since the by-election was announced, Gaurav and his brother Prajwal had been showing interest in candidacy from the RPP. Engineer Prajwal has been nominated by the RPP from Rupandehi-1. Gaurav, who has been involved in aviation for 30 years, is now an instructor pilot. ‘I spent a long time in the aviation sector,’ he said, ‘I have now come to contest elections in my father’s constituency. I am confident that the politics I learned from my father will also help me.’ He said that the election will not be new as he had the opportunity to mix with voters during his father’s campaign.

Industrialist Chunna Prasad Poudel has become the candidate from the Nepali Congress in Rupandehi-2. Poudel, who is involved in the industrial group Yashoda Group, is also the chairman of Butwal Hospital Pvt. Ltd. He also has an investment in the five-star hotel Hyatt, which came into operation in Butwal a few months ago. Poudel, who has been running an industrial business for a long time, was affiliated with the Nepali Congress.

‘I was serving the people of Rupandehi as an industrialist,’ he said, ‘I am confident that the people will give me the opportunity to serve them by winning the election.’ UML Vice-Chairman Bishnu Poudel is also contesting from Rupandehi-2. The Nepali Communist Party has fielded Bishwadeep Pandey and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has fielded Shulav Ghimire from here. Tourism entrepreneur Pramod Yadav is the candidate from Rupandehi-4. Yadav, who is affiliated with the Nepali Congress, has become the candidate from the UML in that area after the party did not give him a ticket. He won from Rupandehi-4 as a candidate from the Congress in 2074 BS but was defeated from the same area in 2079 BS.