Constituencies across the country where party candidates have emerged as the main candidates have become 'hotspots'. The issue of who will win or lose in these constituencies with 'heavyweight' competitors has captured everyone's attention.

The interest of voters and citizens across the country has increased in the constituency where top leaders including Congress President Gagan Thapa, UML President KP Sharma Oli, NCP Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh President Rabi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah, JSP Nepal President Upendra Yadav, Janmat President CK Raut, RPP President Rajendra Lingden and others are competing.

Jhapa-5: Oli's history, Balendra's charm

Former Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor and senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Balendra Shah is competing with UML President KP Sharma Oli this time in Jhapa-5. The competition between the 'heavyweight' leaders has heated up the election atmosphere. Will Oli protect the traditional stronghold or will Balendra destroy it? Many are watching with interest. This debate can be heard from tea shops and chowks in the district at this time.

Balendra's supporters flocked during nomination registration on Tuesday. However, UML central member Hom Bahadur Thapa claims that these were not voters but Balendra's fans. ‘The crowd in Balen is of supporters from all regions, not the crowd of voters from Jhapa-5 region,’ he said, ‘UML is not going to be scared by the crowd of fans.’ There was a similar crowd at Chandragadhi Airport to receive Oli, who landed in his home district on Monday. Balendra has been active in the election campaign since the second day of candidacy registration. He has been meeting local voters while staying in a rented house in Damak. He has a strategy to win over the disgruntled youth of UML and Congress to his side.

Jhapa-5 is considered the ‘Red Fort’ of UML. Oli was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from here in 2048, 2051, 2056, 2070, 2074 and 2079. In the 2064 Constituent Assembly elections, Oli was defeated by Bishwadeep Lingden of the then CPN-Maoist. In 2079, Oli got the highest number of 52,319 votes in the country. The nearest competitor, Khagendra Adhikari of Congress, got 23,743 votes. Suresh Kumar Pokharel of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) got 11,748 votes. 

In Jhapa-5, UML got 35,872 votes, Congress got 16,859 votes, RSP got 18,205 votes, Maoists got 8,680 votes, and RPP got 7,370 votes in the proportional representation. In the 2079 elections, there was an alliance of UML-RPP-Maoists. This time, the situation is different. All the parties have entered the elections alone. Congress has given a chance to Mandara Chimaria. NCP has fielded Ranjit Tamang. Laxmi Prasad Sangraula is the candidate from RPP. Sameer Tamang is in the fray from Shram Sanskriti Party. 

RSS has presented Balendra as the 'Prime Minister'. UML has also made Oli public as the Prime Minister. Therefore, there is a competition between two Prime Ministerial aspirants here. ‘Whoever wins, our constituency will get the Prime Minister,’ said Kshitij Limbu of Kamal Rural Municipality, ‘We are more excited this time.’ 

This time, the issue of generational change in politics is spreading to the villages. ‘A lot of votes were given to the old ones,’ said 68-year-old Butan Rajbanshi of Gaurigunj, ‘This time, they want to give it to the new ones.’ Jhapa-5 includes 10 wards of Damak Municipality, 7 of Kamal Rural Municipality, 1 to 8 of Gauradaha Municipality, and 3 to 6 of Gaurigunj Rural Municipality. There are 163,379 voters here. 

Sarlahi-4: Gagan-Amaresh face-off

After Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa, who was contesting from Kathmandu-4, came down from Madhesh and became a candidate in Sarlahi-4 this time, interest has also increased in this constituency. Thapa was recommended as a single candidate from this constituency. Thapa, who succeeded in changing the party leadership through the special general convention, has been nominated by the party as the future Prime Minister, so it seems that he must win the election from Sarlahi-4. ‘Going to a new constituency is a kind of challenge,’ Thapa said, ‘I have accepted that challenge.’ 

He will be competing with former Congress leader Amresh Kumar Singh. Singh, who won this constituency as an independent candidate after the Congress did not give him a ticket in 2079, is the candidate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). At that time, he defeated Nagendra Kumar of the Congress by 1,764 votes. Singh had contested from the Congress in 2074 and defeated Rakesh Kumar Mishra of the RJP. 

This time, UML has fielded Amanish Kumar Yadav and the NCP has fielded Rajnish Rai in this constituency. Ujjaya Nepal has fielded Pitambar Kushwaha, Janmat has fielded Rakesh Kumar Mishra, and JSP has fielded Rameshwar Rai Yadav. Congress central member Dev Prasad Timalsina says that Thapa has chosen Sarlahi-4 with good sense. ‘It is the stronghold of the Congress,’ he said, ‘This time Thapa will definitely win.’ 

Sarlahi has four constituencies. This area includes wards 1, 2 and 3 of Basbariya Rural Municipality, wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14 and 15 of Barhathawa Municipality, wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 13, 14 and 15 of Dhankaul Rural Municipality, Ramnagar Rural Municipality, Balara Municipality, Godaita Municipality and Bishnu Rural Municipality.

Rukum East: Interesting after Dahal returns to the stronghold

NCP coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who has been winning elections in different areas by coordinating with various political parties, has arrived in Rukum East in search of a safe camp. There are people's representatives from the then Maoist Center in all three municipalities of the district. The election is expected to be interesting after Dahal becomes a candidate in Rukum East, which has been a Maoist stronghold since the 10-year Maoist armed conflict. 

Dahal has been challenged by Sandeep Pun, the son of Suryakshayap Pun and Parampara Gautam, who were martyred during the armed conflict. He is a candidate of the Progressive Democratic Party. He is also the central vice-president of Akhil Krantikari, a student organization close to the then Maoist center. He emerged from student politics and is also the president of the 'Martyr and Missing Warriors' Descendants Foundation'.

The then Maoists have been winning in Rukum East since 2064. In the 2079 election, Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar of the Maoists won by getting 12,262 votes, while the nearest competitor, Kailash Kumar Malla of the UML, had 5,211 votes. Malla is currently in the NCP. In the 2074 election, Kamala Roka of the Maoists was elected by getting 10,434 votes, while the nearest competitor, Harishankar Gharti Magar of the Nepali Congress, had 4,406 votes. The Maoists had formed an alliance with the UML in 2074 and the Nepali Congress in 2079. 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.

Chitwan-2: 23 candidates in competition with Ravi

23 candidates are in competition in Chitwan-2, where RSP President Ravi Lamichhane is the candidate. In 2079, Lamichhane won by getting 49,300 votes. His nearest competitor was Umesh Shrestha of the Nepali Congress with 14,988 votes and Krishna Bhakta Pokharel of the Nepali Congress with 14,652 votes. After Lamichhane's MP post was revoked following a citizenship dispute, a by-election was held in Baisakh 2080. 

Lamichhane won again by getting 54,176 votes in the by-election. Jit Narayan Shrestha of the Nepali Congress got 11,214 votes and Ram Prasad Neupane of the Nepali Congress got 10,936 votes. In the 2079 election and the 2080 by-election, the then Maoist Center and CPN-S had coordinated with the Nepali Congress. 

This time, the parties have their own candidates. Congress candidate Meena Kharel is an active person in the social sector. UML candidate Asmin Ghimire, 38, was a member of UML Bagmati Province. There are 137,152 voters in this area. There are 10 wards of Kalika Municipality, Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Ichchakamana Rural Municipality. 

Saptari-2: Former Chief Minister against Janmat Chairman

This time, victory and defeat in Saptari-2 has become a matter of prestige. Here, Janmat Chairman Dr. Chandrakant (CK) Raut, former Irrigation Minister Umesh Kumar Yadav, and former Chief Minister of Madhesh Satish Kumar Singh are competing. Yadav is a candidate from JSP Nepal and Singh is a candidate from Swabhiman Party. There are 31 candidates in this area. Raut is a repeat candidate. Raut won in 2079 by getting 35,032 votes. Former Chief Minister Singh was elected from Saptari-2(1) by Janmat in 2079. He got 16,434 votes. 

Former Irrigation Minister Yadav was elected from Saptari-3 in the 2070 BS Constituent Assembly elections. He was defeated by JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav in 2074 BS. This time, former MP Suryanath Yadav is in the fray from the NCP. Ram Kumar Yadav is the candidate from the Congress. Ramji Yadav has registered his candidacy from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). There are a total of 105,922 voters in this constituency, including 56,400 men, 49,520 women and 2 others.

Saptari-3: Tripartite competition

JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, former Congress MP Dinesh Kumar Yadav and UML's Tarakant Chaudhary are in the election competition in Saptari-3. The changing political equation and the pressure of generational change are also visible in this constituency. Yadav contested from Saptari-2 in 2074 BS. At that time, he was elected with 21,620 votes. He also contested from the same constituency in 2079 BS. At that time, his opponent was Janmat Party Chairman Dr. Chandrakant (CK) was with Raut. Raut was elected by getting 35,032 votes in the last election. Upendra got 16,979 votes. 

In the by-election held in 2080, Yadav was elected from Bara Constituency-2 by getting 28,415 votes. In 2079, Congress leader Dinesh was elected from Saptari-3 by getting 26,166 votes. His nearest competitor Tarakant got 22,300 votes. There are 111,871 voters in this constituency, including 58,849 men, 55,150 women and 7 others. 

Jhapa-3: UML and RPP alliance broken

The UML-RPP alliance in Jhapa-3 has broken this time. This time, UML has fielded former Constituent Assembly member Hari Rajbanshi as a candidate against RPP Chairman Rajendra Lingden. The Congress has put forward a new face. Earlier, the Congress has fielded Rajendra Ghimire in the area considered to be the 'base area' of leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula. The NCP has fielded Dilliram Ghimire (Hikmat). The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has fielded district coordinator Prakash Pathak for the second time.

UML voters had been expressing their pain of not being able to vote for the 'sun' symbol in this area for 10 years. Chairman Oli had put Jhapa-3 on 'hold' for some time. After the protests increased, he decided to give a ticket to Rajbanshi. 'UML is in the field with its own candidate, which has made the voters very happy,' said Madhav Bidhoori, a provincial member of the UML. 'This time, the enthusiasm of the UML voters seems different.'

In 2079, RPP's Lingden had won through the alliance between the UML and the RPP. Lingden had secured 37,362 votes. Congress's Krishna Sitaula had secured 31,171 votes. RPP's Pathak had secured 3,461 votes. Jhapa-3 includes Kachankawal, Haldibari, Bahradashi Rural Municipality and Ward 10 of Birtamod Municipality and Wards 1 to 8 of Bhadrapur Municipality. There are 140,857 voters in this area. 9,425 new voters have been added. 

Sunsari-1: Harka faces challenge from big parties 

Harkaraj Rai (Sampang), who became the mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City as an independent candidate, has opened a party this time and entered the House of Representatives election from Sunsari-1. He resigned from the post of mayor and became a candidate. His election campaigning style, which has introduced labor culture in urban development, is often entertaining. Ashok Rai of JSP won from this constituency in 2079 with the support of UML. 

There are 26 candidates in Sunsari-1, including Rai, the chairman of the Labor Culture Party. Tikaram Limbu from UML, Sarendra Gole Tamang from Congress, Mahesh Shrestha from NEMKIPA, Rajendra Gurung from Mongol National Organization, Dil Bahadur Bastola from CPN-Maoist, Bhupi Rai from Rastriya Sajha Party are candidates. Manoj (Surya Bahadur) Bhattarai from CPN, Dambar Lawati from Ujjaya Nepal Party are candidates. This constituency covers all 20 wards of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City, wards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Barah Kshetra Municipality and wards 6 and 7 of Ramdhuni Municipality. There are a total of 150,393 voters.