Parties are busy preparing manifestos for the House of Representatives elections to be held on February 21.

The parties have started writing manifestos after registering their candidacies in 165 constituencies. The candidates, however, have already started going door-to-door without receiving their manifestos.

The upcoming House of Representatives elections, which are being held after the dissolution of the House of Representatives on the strength of the Gen-G movement, are being contested between new and old parties. Candidates from all parties have put forward the issue of 'good governance against corruption' as a major issue in the Gen-G movement. Along with this, the candidates are going to the voters by raising employment, education, health improvement and promotion of local products as major issues.

While the parties have prepared manifestos with promises that they could not implement in the past, this time they have stated that they are preparing manifestos with programs and goals that they can implement. After nominating on Magh 6, the candidates have gone door-to-door giving priority to local issues.

Congress President Gagan Thapa, UML President KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Communist Party Leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Rastriya Swatantra Party Vice President Swarnim Wagle have announced that the manifesto writing process has reached the final stage. The parties are preparing to bring out the manifesto within this week.

Kshitij Thebe, who is also the president of the Youth Association and became the first UML candidate from Taplejung, said that he started door-to-door campaigning especially listening to the demands and concerns of the voters. He said that he is participating in the election campaign with the responsibility of the elderly and the youth.

‘Local issues including creating an environment for youth to engage in entrepreneurship, making villages prosperous, and organizing tourism and agricultural production are being discussed,’ he said. ‘Local production, quality education, and improvement in health are the main issues.’ There is a need to link tourism with the Himalayas, and to link agriculture and sports with tourism.’ He said that his priority is to further organize religious tourism in Pathibhara. He said that he will move forward by absorbing the voices and dreams of the people of Tapjejung.

Election competition has also started in Madhesh Province between old and new candidates. The main issue of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal candidate Bobby Yadav, who is contesting from Saptari-4 for the first time, is employment. She herself had gone to Qatar for foreign employment.

‘I myself have gone for foreign employment, so my issue is to get a job in my own country,’ she said, ‘A good policy has been made in technical education, employment can be created,’ she said, ‘My effort will be to create an environment to prepare and send skilled manpower. I will run a campaign to end violence against women. I will become a medium to bring the voice of the streets to the House.’

Thakur Gaire, who is a candidate for the second time from Palpa-2 in Lumbini Province, got a ticket from UML at the last minute. This time, he has to face many questions about the commitment he made in the last election. Since he has already done a lot of work in his first term, he is preparing to fulfill the remaining commitments and bring forward new plans.

‘Youth are not only the future, but also the leadership of the present. I have been representing the youth,' he said, 'Completing the plans that have been started, making more plans and moving forward are the main issues of the district.' He also said that his main commitment is to end corruption and fight for good governance throughout his life.

Stating that his campaign to commercialize the education, health, employment, and agricultural sectors is ongoing, he said that he has a role to play in declaring orange as the national fruit of Nepal. He said that it is his responsibility to ensure national independence and prosperity by amending the constitution.

Nepali Communist Party candidate Lekhnath Neupane, who is a candidate for the first time from Gorkha-2 in Gandaki, said that he went to the doorsteps of voters with 'only as many promises as he can keep'.

'I do not say impossible things during elections. I say as much as I can. I have tried to raise possible issues,' he added, 'If the MP does not lead the development work, there will be no budget.' I am committed to bringing a proportional budget from the union with the support of the people.'

He, who is the former president of Akhil Krantikari, said that the issue of free and quality education, which he raised as a student leader, cannot be abandoned. 'I have raised the issue of free and quality education throughout my life. Now I will work hard to improve community education,' he said.

He said that he has conveyed the necessary constitutional amendments and other policy-making issues to voters as national issues.

Pukar Bam, who took to the streets of Kathmandu with issues such as universal health care, citizenship in the name of his mother, protection of heritage and culture, is the candidate for Kathmandu-4 from the National Independent Party. 'There are issues of local development, culture and development. There are issues of controlling corruption.' I am not just a candidate who raises issues, but a candidate who fulfills them,' he said, 'Since I have worked as a dialogue coordinator in the Satyagraha for universal health care, leadership for good governance, and the Genji movement, I have a plan for how to build Kathmandu 4.'

He mentioned that Kathmandu-4 was turned into a laboratory in the past and claimed that he would not allow that to happen again.

Naresh Bhandari, who is a candidate in Jumla from the Nepali Communist Party, has put forward the development and prosperity of Karnali's civilization as the main issue. 'Motherland Karnali and mother district Jumla are my slogans. My initiative will be to make it a cultural capital by linking it with the language, culture, and civilization of Jumla,' he said.

He also said that he will fight against the discrimination faced by Karnali in the national budget allocation. He said that since he is one of the initiators of the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences, he will take the initiative to make a health policy for Karnali.

Former Nepal Students' Union President Nain Singh Mahar has become a candidate in Dadaldhura in the Far West, where former Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has been a legacy since 2048 BS. Respecting the role played by Deuba for the Far West, he said that he is a candidate as his successor.