From big leaders who have left their long-standing political parties in Madhesh to become candidates from other parties, to former ministers, heads of various parties, and future prime ministerial contenders, all have entered the election fray.
What you should know
There are a total of 32 constituencies of the House of Representatives in Madhesh Province. For which 1,054 candidates have filed their candidacies. While the highest number of candidates, 154, have filed their candidacies in Dhanusha, the lowest number of candidates, 104, are in the fray in Saptari.
Madhesh Province, which has the largest population in the country, has been an area of influence for Madhesh pro-party parties. Major parties including Congress, UML, and NCP are watching Madhesh with interest as they work hard in every election to reduce the influence of Madhesh pro-party parties and increase their dominance.
From big leaders who have left their parties and become candidates from other parties, to former ministers, heads of various parties, and future prime ministerial candidates, they have entered the election fray.
Where is the candidate from?
Popular leader of Madhesh, JSP Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav, has become a candidate from Saptari-3 this time. Yadav, who lost from Saptari-2 in the 2079 elections, was elected to parliament from Bara-2 through a by-election. Janmat Party Chairman CK Raut, who defeated Yadav, is also in the race from Saptari-2 this time.
Interestingly, Raut himself, with his party's support, has made Satish Singh, who was made the Chief Minister of Madhesh Province, quit Janmat and became a candidate from Swabhiman Party to compete with Raut from Saptari-2. He was elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly from Saptari-2 (1) along with Raut and resigned to become a candidate.
JSP Nepal Vice President and former Minister Rajkishore Yadav, who was earlier elected from Siraha-2, has returned to his old constituency Siraha-4. Bablu Gupta, who became the Minister of Youth and Sports in the government formed after the Gen-G movement, resigned and became a candidate from Siraha-1 from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
UML Deputy General Secretary Raghubir Mahaseth is contesting from Dhanusha-4, while his wife Julikumari Mahato is contesting from Dhanusha-3. Former Congress Vice President Bimalendra Nidhi and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh spokesperson Manish Jha have also entered the election contest from Dhanusha-3.
NCP leader Matrika Prasad Yadav has filed his candidacy from Dhanusha-1. In 2079, he was defeated by JSP Nepal's Deepak Karki from this constituency. JSP leader and former minister Sharat Singh Bhandari is the candidate from Mahottari 2 and NCP's Girirajmani Pokharel is the candidate from Constituency No. 1.
Rashtriya Mukti Party Nepal's Chairman Rajendra Mahato and NCP's Mahendra Raya Yadav are in the contest from the old constituency Sarlahi 2. NCP's top leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha has come and become a candidate from Sarlahi-3.
Another popular constituency in Madhesh is Sarlahi-4. Party President Gagan Thapa, who was declared the prime ministerial candidate by the Congress, has become a candidate from here. Amresh Singh, who is also a former Congressman, has entered the election fray from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In Rautahat-1, former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has become the candidate from the NCP, while in Constituency No. 3, Aam Janata Party President Prabhu Sah is the candidate. Similarly, journalist Rishi Dhamala is the candidate from the AJP in Rautahat-4. Dev Prasad Timilsina, who was elected twice from the Congress, has also filed his candidacy this time.
Congress Joint General Secretary Farmullah Mansur is the candidate from Bara-3, while Pradeep Yadav, who had won the election from the JSP in Parsa-1, has changed parties at the beginning of the election and become the candidate from the UML. In Parsa-2, the Congress has repeated former Minister Ajay Chaurasia.
The presence of established, well-known and new candidates in politics has made the Madhesh elections exciting.
Challenge to attract votes for new, protect old ones
Election activity has intensified in Madhesh after the nominations. Candidates from new, old parties and independents have intensified door-to-door campaigns, rallies and strategic meetings. Election debate is increasing from the streets to social media.
Like in other parts of the country, new and old parties are at the center of debate in Madhesh too. There is widespread dissatisfaction among citizens towards old parties. The old parties are accused of corruption, misrule, factionalism and failure to meet public expectations. As a result, it is becoming challenging for old and established parties to protect the votes of their own organizations.
However, while saying this, it is not easy for new political forces that are trying to emerge based on the dissatisfaction of citizens to attract votes, says Bishnu Prasad Yadav of Mirchaiya. Although the wave seen on social media can have an impact in urban areas, it is difficult to convert discussions into votes in rural areas, he says.
‘In rural areas, votes are cast based on the organization, public image of the candidate, personal attachment and local issues rather than discussions on social media,’ he says. ‘The old party has an established and experienced candidate, but the new party has unexpectedly fielded new people who are not familiar at the local level in most places, which is why the new party cannot easily convert public anger and discussions into votes.’
A large number of politically conscious voters in Madhesh are sensitive to the issues of federalism, self-governance, inclusiveness, identity and rights. However, the National Independent Party, which is in the news as a new party, has been accused of being formally unclear on these issues.
Therefore, despite the anger and dissatisfaction towards the old parties, most of the voters here are confused, says political analyst Randhir Chaudhary. However, he says that voters in Madhesh are also sensitive due to distrust of the state, past unfulfilled promises, and the unique characteristics and weaknesses of new and old parties.
‘There is extreme dissatisfaction with the traditional and old parties, but even the new party that is in the news is not seen as trustworthy for Madhesh. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has a history of boycotting the provincial assembly elections,’ he says. ‘That is why there is confusion among voters amid dissatisfaction, while voters with political awareness are also sensitive.’
