At the height of the armed conflict led by then Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the party's central committee met in Chunbang in Kartik 2062, and decided to advance the democratic movement in collaboration with seven parties.

On the basis of that decision, the 12-point understanding, the joint people's movement and the then Maoist peace process came into being. After 20 years, Dahal has returned to Chunbang (Rukum East) in search of a safe camp for parliamentary politics, but this time his Maoist party and many colleagues are not with him. 

After registering his nomination on behalf of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) for the upcoming House of Representatives elections on Tuesday, Dahal recalled the Chunbang meeting two decades ago. 'I remember the Chunbang meeting in my mind, the meeting that ended the nearly two and a half century old monarchy in Nepal and established a democratic republic, is in Rukum East,' he said. 

Dahal, who has contested five times, including the first Constituent Assembly election in 2064 BS, has changed his constituency each time and has arrived in Rukum East this time. Coincidentally, Sandeep Pun, who is also from Chunbang, has entered the competition with Dahal. Sandeep, who lost both his parents in the armed conflict, is a candidate from the Progressive Democratic Party, founded by former Maoist leaders including Baburam Bhattarai and Janardan Sharma.

Many in Rukum East expect that Sandeep will receive sympathy votes because he comes from a martyred family. This seems to have shocked Dahal himself. Because, after filing his nomination on Tuesday, Dahal has started his election campaign by meeting the martyred family. Candidates from parties including the Congress, UML, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have also entered the fray in Rukum East.

Leaving the mid-hill highway from the district headquarters Rukumkot and following a dirt road, Mahatgaun comes to the top of the hill. A 'war museum' has been built at the top of Mahatgaun to keep the memory of the rebellion alive. Lain Kumari Sunar, who was met there, seemed excited about Dahal's arrival in Rukum East. 'I am hopeful that the villages will develop after a big leader comes,' she said. 'There is a problem with drinking water and irrigation in the settlements. If big leaders see this problem, will it be solved soon?’

Sunar never forgets an incident during the armed conflict. She came to Mahatgaon on 4 Asoj 2056 after getting married from Thabang (Rolpa), about 10 kilometers away. The next day, the then Maoists attacked the Mahatgaon police post, where 58 people from both sides were killed. She is currently working at the war museum built in memory of that, cutting tickets and cleaning. 

During the armed conflict, Rukum (East and West) along with Rolpa was considered the headquarters of the Maoists. On 1 Falgun 2052, the Maoists started the armed conflict by attacking police posts in Holeri in Rolpa, Aathbiskot in Rukum (now Rukum West), Sindhuligadhi in Sindhuli, and the Agricultural Development Bank in Chyangli in Gorkha.

When we reached the same village in Bhume Rural Municipality-6, a meeting of the local agricultural cooperative was underway. Seeing a new person in front of him, 65-year-old Ash Bahadur Budha stepped forward to introduce himself. The meeting he was chairing was almost over. So we brought up the topic of the election. 

Budha had also heard that Dahal, who is also a former Prime Minister, had filed his candidacy from Rukum East. ‘Leaders who fought the people’s war have come to power time and again, but the families of martyrs, missing persons and the injured have not been able to get much facilities,’ he responded. ‘Is he coming to make better arrangements for food, shelter and clothing in the places where the people’s war was fought, or is he saying that he cannot win elsewhere, let him go.’

We spoke separately to 49-year-old Sarita Pun, who was returning home after the cooperative meeting. She also responded that she was not enthusiastic about the election. ‘If there is a leader who cares about the people, we will vote happily. But the leaders so far have not spoken when needed,' she said, 'We the people are the eyes of the leader.'

After NCP coordinator Dahal became a candidate for the House of Representatives from Rukum East, discussions have started in households here. There are also analyses from various angles as to why he came. Although Dahal and other NCP leaders have made various arguments on this issue, most are assuming that Dahal has come to Rukum East in search of a safe place. 

Rukum East is a constituency that the then Maoist (now NCP) has been winning continuously since 2064. In the 2079 election, Maoist Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar won by getting 12,262 votes, while his nearest rival Kailash Kumar Malla of UML had 5,211 votes. Malla is now in the NCP. 

In the 2074 election, Maoist Kamala Roka was elected by getting 10,434 votes, while his nearest rival Harishankar Gharti Magar of the Nepali Congress had 4,406 votes. The Maoists had formed an alliance with the UML in 2074 and the Congress in 2079.

According to the District Election Office, there are 34,772 voters in Rukum East. Of these, 660 are new voters. 80 percent of the voters in the district are from the Magar community. 

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Dahal returned to Rukum after traveling through 4 provinces in search of a safe camp

Now Dahal has said that he will make Rukum East his 'headquarters'. In fact, Dahal has been changing constituencies by making many such announcements. Since 2064, he has been participating in elections continuously and once stood for re-election in Kathmandu-10 but was defeated. But he changed places and won wherever he stood.

Dahal had won from Rolpa-2 and Kathmandu-10 in the 2064 Constituent Assembly elections. But he left Rolpa-2 in the by-elections that followed. In the 2070 elections, he also stood for re-election in Kathmandu-10 and became a candidate from Siraha-5. Rajan KC of the Nepali Congress was elected with 20,392 votes, while Surendra Manandhar of the UML came second with 13,615 votes and Dahal came third with 12,852 votes. 

In Siraha-5, Dahal won by a narrow margin. At that time, after the results of Kathmandu-10 were announced, the counting of votes in Siraha-5 was repeatedly disrupted due to Maoists. In that constituency, Dahal was elected with 15,244 votes, while UML's Leelanath Shrestha got 14,323. 

When he filed his candidacy from Siraha, Dahal used to say that he had a 'love' with Madhesh. However, in 2074, he moved to Chitwan-3, which is in the Terai-Madhesh region. After forming an alliance with the UML, he won with 48,276 votes. His nearest rival, Bikram Pandey of the RPP Prajatantrik, had 38,935 votes. In the subsequent elections, Dahal climbed the hill.

He had become a candidate from Gorkha-2, which was being won by his former colleague Baburam Bhattarai, in 2079. Bhattarai had given up his seat to Dahal based on an agreement to unify the party after the election. In the election, Dahal became an MP with the support of parties including the Congress, while his closest rival, Kabindra Burlakoti of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, had 12,639 votes. After winning the election, Dahal's Maoists and Bhattarai's Nepal Samajwadi Party did not unite. Bhattarai is a candidate in Gorkha-2 this time. 

After registering his nomination on a 'charter flight' of Tara Air, Dahal said that Rukum East could be his last constituency. 'It has been a matter of pride for me to start from the central base area of ​​Rolpa and then come to the other central base area of ​​Rukum to file my candidacy,' he said after registering his candidacy. 'This has become a record in itself. This could be my last direct election in Rukum.'

Bikram Pun, ward chair of Bhume-6 in Rukum East, says there are both advantages and disadvantages to NCP coordinator Dahal coming to the district to contest the election. He says that the top leader will have an eye on the development and other problems of the district and will help in addressing them. He analyzes that when big leaders come and contest the election, local leaders will be overshadowed. 'Internal conflicts were increasing within the party in the district. There were many aspiring leaders. The district party itself recommended the coordinator as a candidate. Signatures were also collected,' said Pun, who won the ward chair from the then Maoist party. 'It is expected that local internal conflicts will decrease after the arrival of an acceptable central leader.'

The NCP had recommended the names of Dahal, Ganeshman Pun, Daljit Shripali, Tej Bahadur Oli, Jitman Pun, Subodh Raj Shripali, Lal Bahadur Bista, Kailash Malla, Chandra Rasaili and Sirjana Karki as direct candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives elections. However, after coming forward as his presidential candidate, other aspirants have been deployed in campaigning and management. 

In the 2079 provincial assembly elections, the then Maoists had fielded Tej Bahadur Oli as a candidate from Rukum East-1, but local Maoist leader Surul Pun won by contesting as an independent candidate. Local workers of the NCP say that the contradictions have arisen from there. ‘We expect Coordinator Dahal to restore balance within the party. Other parties do not have much influence. No effective candidates have been seen from other parties. We are sure to win the election,’ claimed Ward Chairman Pun.

All three rural municipality chiefs in the district, namely Sisne, Bhume and Puthauttarganga, have been won by the then Maoist (NCP). The UML candidate from the alliance won the post of deputy chief of Sisne. The then Maoist candidate won in more than half of the 31 wards across the constituency.

The by-election for the deputy chief of Puthauttarganga rural municipality was held in Mangsir 081. UML candidate Keshav Kumari Tulachan entered the competition with the Congress’ election symbol of a tree. But the Maoist’s Narapura Budha won with 3,627 votes. Tulachan had 2,128 votes. At that time, Dahal expressed happiness in the parliament by saying, 'Not only did the Congress and the UML form an alliance, but the Maoists also won despite exchanging election symbols.' In the same by-election, Jagat Gharti of the Maoists was elected unopposed as the chairman of Ward No. 2. 

According to Assistant Election Officer Ishwori Prasad Subedi, 12 people have filed their candidacies in Rukum East. Kusumdevi Thapa Magar is the candidate from the Congress, Leelamani Gautam from the UML, and Lakhan Kumar Thapa from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Thapa of the Congress is an incumbent proportional representation MP. Jyoti Roka Magar from the Mongol National Organization, Dharma Kumar Budha from the National Republic Nepal, Shir Bahadur Budha from the Janata Samajwadi Party, Roshan Shah from the RPP, Juddha Bahadur Budha Magar from the CPN-Maoist, and Amar Singh Pun are independent candidates. 

Sameer Shah, a new voter in the district headquarters, is considering voting for a new face this time. He believes that a new candidate should be voted for to fulfill the demands of the Gen-G movement held last Bhadra. ‘Pushpakamal Dahal got opportunities repeatedly. Instead of him, we should vote for someone who gets the opportunity for the first time,’ he said, ‘We need a leader who understands local needs and can include the youth.’ The 23-year-old Shah family, who has been helping his parents at the Kamaldaha Hotel in the district headquarters since passing grade 12, says that they did not agree even though they were advised to vote for the old party.

Rukum East is one of the districts with a large number of youth going for foreign employment. The number of those who illegally reached the US from here and were returned is significant. Although there is one campus in the district, people have to go to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Surkhet, Rukum West and Chaurjahari for higher education. The district’s campus offers education, management and humanities faculties. 

The Mid-Hill Highway, which was expanded after the armed conflict, has passed through the center of Rukum. Although all wards of Bhume Rural Municipality have access to roads, some wards of Puthauttarganga and Sisne Rural Municipality have not been touched by roads. Jit Bahadur Khatri of Puthauttarganga-8 complains that due to the lack of roads, agricultural produce has to be transported to the market by paying expensive transportation costs on horses and mules. 

Access to quality health services has not been expanded. Dhan Budha of Sisne said, “Leaders who come to seek votes during elections say they will provide roads and motorbikes to the villages, but those leaders themselves do not return until the next election.”

Sisne Campus Chief Shaad Gautam said that there is enthusiasm among young and new voters for the elections in Rukum. “Voters who have seen many elections are less enthusiastic,” he said, “There is dissatisfaction with traditional and big political parties. Youth are excited that the upcoming elections after the Gen-G movement will bring something new.” 

He also mentioned that there are signs of increased attraction towards new parties, candidates and youth. ‘This is a place where the Maoists won earlier. But it seems that there will be a little change this time. The influence of the Gen-G movement has reached the bottom. There seems to be a competition between the influence of the old parties and the attraction of the new ones,’ he said. Gautam said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sandeep Pun, who lost his parents in the armed conflict, may get sympathy votes. ‘The district has become agitated when Pushpakamal Dahal comes,’ he said, ‘but comments are also heard that the opportunities of local leaders are taken away when big leaders come. It is also argued that the district will benefit from development when big leaders come.’

Sandeep also claims that he will be competing with the NCP candidate. ‘Youth has always been used. This time, I have come forward due to the demand of voters that young people should come,’ he said. Stating that he has started campaigning on social media, he said that tourism development, original production, education, health and development will be his election agenda.

‘We don’t dream big by bringing a manifesto like the old party. We do small things,’ said Pun. Pun’s mother Parampara Gautam was murdered in Bajhang on 13 Jestha 2059 and her father Suryakshmi was arrested and murdered on 23 Jestha. 

RSP district president Lakhan Swar claims that this time he will demolish the CPN’s stronghold. ‘Since voters are looking for change, the victory of the new party and the new candidate is certain,’ he says. 

Nandalal Sharma, former district secretary of UML East Rukum, argued that this time it was not easy for Dahal. ‘Dahal may have chosen Rukum East constituency because it is an easy constituency,’ he said, ‘but local voters’ trust in UML is increasing here. There are many divisions and factions/sub-factions in the CPN. Janardan Sharma, who broke away from Dahal, has filed his candidacy in West Rukum from Pralopa. That will have an impact in the east as well.’ 

Congress general convention representative and leader of the district headquarters Rukumkot, Prakash KC, said that despite the controversy at the party center, the Congress will go to the election unitedly in the district. ‘Here, the Congress will compete with the NCP. Since the influence of the Congress is increasing, we have the strength to compete,’ he said.

NCP district in-charge Tej Bahadur Oli said that Dahal’s candidacy is certain to win in Rukum East. ‘It is our responsibility to send him to victory. The party will work together for this,’ he said. He said that Rukum East was chosen due to the demands, needs and the wishes of the party coordinator.

Another NCP leader, Jeevan KC, said that the leadership decided to come to Rukum East after the decision was made by the local party. ‘Rukum East is the revolutionary and fertile land of the Maoists of yesterday. It is natural for the hero of the revolution to come here,’ he said, ‘He has been contesting elections from constituencies in Rolpa, Madhesh, and the hills. It is very right for a national leader to travel around the constituency to understand the public sentiment and problems across the country.'