Former UML Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu, who has been active in politics for 31 years, is competing with 39-year-old Bishwadeep, 28-year-old Sulabh, 32-year-old Kamal, and 60-year-old Chunna.
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Rupandehi-2, which has been a stronghold of the CPN-UML since the 2006 Constituent Assembly elections, is in the news this time as well.
After UML Vice President Bishnu Poudel, who is also a constant undefeated leader and former Finance Minister, changed his decision to go to Palpa and returned to Rupandehi-2, the electoral tide here has changed. Poudel has been challenged by people from businessmen to independents. Poudel has been active in parliamentary politics for 31 years. Of that, 26 years of politics have been focused on Rupandehi. Poudel, who lost to Butwal businessman and politician Surya Prasad Pradhan in the 2051 general election, defeated the then Maoist Bhakti Pandey by 2,459 votes in the 2064 BS election.
Poudel had secured 15,880 votes. Poudel has been undefeated in Rupandehi's parliamentary journey for 18 years since then. Just as the people of Rupandehi voted for Poudel, he is also contributing equally to the infrastructure and economic development of the place.
However, it is not easy for him to continue his 18-year journey in the current House of Representatives election. In the competition, Poudel, a nationally successful industrialist from Butwal, is a candidate from the Nepali Congress. Poudel is meeting voters as a new face, saying that he has provided employment to thousands and made a significant contribution to the economic development of Butwal. In addition, Subhash (Bishwadeep), the son of the then Maoist leader Bhakti Pandey, who defeated Bishnu Poudel himself in 2064 BS, is competing from the Nepali Communist Party. Pandey, 39, is a resident of Sainamaina Municipality-1, Bankatta.
He said that he has always respected Bishnu Poudel because he contested the election with his father, but he has become a candidate here because the new generation is looking for a generational transition after the Genji protests. ‘I have respect for the respected leader Bishnu Poudel, who contested the election with my father 18 years ago. He has also developed Rupandehi as a role model,’ he said. ‘The Genji generation demands that the model of generational change and development in politics should be changed, that is why I have given my candidacy.’ The old parties are now challenged by new political forces, candidates from the younger generation and the changing aspirations of voters.
Stating that future development will not be based solely on old slogans, he said that direct dialogue with the local people and development as per their needs are his main agenda. He is currently engaged in a door-to-door campaign to reach every person’s home.
In the 2079 election, Poudel got 27,165 votes, while Ganesh Poudel of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) got 25,781 votes. Currently, Pandey’s son Bishwadeep, along with 28-year-old Sulabh Kharel from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and 32-year-old Kamal Bhusal (Nikolash) from the Nepal Janasewa Party, are in competition with Chunna Poudel of the Congress. However, the main competition is expected to be between 66-year-old Bishnu and 60-year-old Chunna Poudel.
In party elections, old parties, which make strategies based on data collected and analyzed based on party membership, cadre opinion surveys and election atmosphere, are now challenged by new political forces, young generation candidates and changed voters' aspirations. The current campaign style will also have an impact on that. The election rallies that were held earlier have not been seen . However, social media is full of election campaigning . The campaign style has changed .
No candidate has been able to predict an easy victory in Rupandehi-2, which is dominated by the intellectual class, businessmen and mobile voters. As of Sunday, no party has prepared a commitment or manifesto. However, most candidates are going door-to-door asking for votes . Many have the same old slogan and commitment, ‘Now a different person and a different plan should be made for the development of Rupandehi.’
UML candidate Poudel is also changing his campaign style. He is on a campaign to gather his organization up to the ward and village levels and deliver other agendas to every voter through digital means. UML Rupandehi election campaign coordinator DR Ghimire said that the parties have reached a point where they have changed their campaign style along with technology in the current election. ‘Now the campaign style has to change,’ he said, ‘The agenda should be based on facts, not abuse, not fake, not stunt, but finding solutions.’
He claimed that UML candidates would be put forward as common people’s representatives and that voters would trust them. He said that since Bishnu Poudel had become a common people’s representative for the development of Rupandehi after landing at Bhairahawa Airport before, his continuation would be through the election campaign.
Poudel of the Congress is a successful industrialist. He has put forward the issue of job creation. ‘I have now run five/seven industries.’ In the health sector, we have also provided facilities through a well-equipped hospital after Kathmandu,’ he said. ‘In the coming days, the main priority is to expand the number of jobs provided to five thousand people by adding industries and businesses.’
Poudel is the main director of Rupandehi’s Yashoda Foods, Shriram Towako, Trimurti Industries, Sona Packaging Industries, four-star Hotel Hyatt Palace and Butwal Hospital Pvt. Ltd. He said that his main agenda is to attract foreign investment and develop Rupandehi as a hub of industry. The National Independent Party, on the other hand, has entered the election with the confidence that they will get the current swing vote. Candidate Sulabh Kharel, although not winning the local public opinion, has entered the election based on the votes of the previous election, saying that he is an intelligent and prudent voter. 'Our main election agenda is good governance, and the voters of this area are aware of it,' he said, 'I believe that the votes of the young generation will completely change.'
Another famous candidate is Kamal Bhusal (Nikolash). He had also registered his candidacy as an independent in the 2079 election. However, his candidacy was rejected after a complaint was filed that he had taken government service facilities for studying but did not return the facilities. He has now become a candidate from the Nepal Janasewa Party.
The Election Commission has given him the election symbol of the ‘shoe’ of the youth who was shot in the Genji protest. He is popular among the youth and many youth are following him because of the election symbol. ‘My election symbol is the wounded shoe of Genji,’ he said, ‘Everyone has understood the pain of that shoe, they will apply ointment. My victory is the treatment for that wounded shoe.’ He is campaigning along with some youth.
In Rupandehi-2, which has 135,050 voters, 39 candidates, including 19 parties and 20 independents, are in the fray.
