Ganisara Byambu, 64, of Nisdi Rural Municipality-2, Jhiruwas, is busy carrying manure in her fields. She says she carries manure with her friends to plant ginger and turmeric in her fields, but the election atmosphere has not affected her so far. Carrying manure with her friends from the village, she said, "Elections come and go. We don't care."

She said that she has been voting in elections since 2048 BS. Stating that elections have come and gone many times, she does not consider the upcoming elections as something new. She said that there is joy for two to four days in local, provincial and federal elections, and then she should not do her job. ‘Those who come to ask for votes say new things,’ she said, ‘This time, the municipal government is paving the road in our village. That is the good news.’ She knows that the road leading from her house to Dharkesin was dug by an NGO called Helvetas 18 years ago. She said that she herself went to work as a laborer while digging the road from Rukshebhanjyang to Dharkesin in Mityal. ‘We need development, will you bring it?’ was her response, ‘We are going to Arungkhola (Arunkhola), we need a paved road from there (black paper). We need a paved road from Rampur, who will give it?’ Even though she has voted many times, she only knows that leaders provide development. She understands that there is no development in her village because the government does not have money.

In previous elections, leaders who came with great hopes gave speeches in the village in the Magar language. They have also sent them away after winning the election. Some gave speeches in the Khas language. The living standards of the voters of this municipality, which is predominantly Magar, have not changed. Dilmaya Thapa, a farmer from Jhirubas Dharkesin, is busy making Amriso. She too is not facing elections. She says that she needs a leader who will change the village and become a friend in happiness and sorrow. She has not counted how many times she has voted so far. But she knows who she voted for. When she was found planting amriso in the Kauledanda Kabuliyati forest, she said, ‘We are eager to work. The elections have not yet affected us.’ She said that she worked day and night to remove forest debris in Kauledanda and plant amriso.

She knows that it was not brought by any leader but by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) through the Division Forest Office, Palpa, as a separate project. She said that the amriso planted in 2067/68 is now providing income. But the fluctuations in its price have worried Thapa. ‘Initially, the price was found to be good,’ she said, ‘now it has come down to 40 rupees.’ Earlier, we sold it for up to Rs 120 per kg.’

Meanwhile, he is saddened that no party leader or public representative has made direct contact for the market of Amriso. Everyone needs votes in elections. He complains that even after giving them, no one comes back to understand his problems.

In every election, leaders and candidates come with new slogans. Dilmaya Saru of Jhirubas Khadar hopes that ‘something will happen now’ in every election. But he is equally worried that this will happen every time. Because there has been no change. There is no employment in the village. The youth have gone abroad. Some have gone to Madhesh. But he is worried because everyone is unemployed. He complains that the candidates who always win the election only appear in the next election. There are 7 wards in Nisdi.

Saru is not particularly interested in the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives on Falgun 21. She understands that even though the elections have come and gone, it has not brought any change to her life and family situation. ‘All the youth have to go abroad,’ she said, ‘After voting, we need to provide employment. We need to teach skills. We need to manage the market. Who will create an environment for living together? Who will provide employment and self-employment here? We have voted and sent them away, and the leaders will not come back. Who knows who will tell us about their problems?’

Khagisara Sunari, who is grazing goats in Mityal, Nisdi, complains that elections come and go, but everyone is doing it for themselves. Her family in Mityal, Nisdi Rural Municipality-4 under Palpa Area No. 1, is barely making ends meet. It is not just her who is interested in the elections, but most of the villagers are not interested in them. She said that she learned about the elections this time on social media, "Now I have learned that a new party has also entered the elections. Earlier, I did not know much about it, but now I have learned about it by looking at Facebook."

Nisdi Rural Municipality is geographically remote. The municipality extends from Beldanda to Arunkhola in Nawalpur (formerly Nawalparasi), as well as Mathagadhi and Boudikali. The residents here have lagged behind in development. The Kem Khamcha road connecting Bankamlang to Jyamire has been abandoned for three years due to lack of budget. The condition of the road connecting Rampur to Mityal Arunkhola has been critical for years. The road connecting the municipality falls under this category, but has not been upgraded. Most of the roads are unpaved and citizens are forced to suffer during the rainy season. They produce amriso, ginger, bamboo materials, turmeric, and nuts, but they always have to rely on middlemen.

Aitma Darlami, a farmer from Jhirubas, wishes that the price of amriso and ginger, which she grew with pain and investment, would have increased. “I feel like they suffered a lot for amriso, and I wish the price had been increased,” she said. The cardamom plants brought from Ilam and Lamjung by farmers in Jhirubas Khadar had all died due to drought. No local, state, or federal government searched for them. The cardamom worth millions was destroyed. They have now replanted them. But when they died, everyone was worried.

Darlami complains that in the past, no matter who she voted for, it didn’t matter. She says that she will decide later who she will vote for this time. She complains that not only amriso production and marketing, but also ginger, turmeric and other agricultural products are not getting a market . ‘Nothing is priced according to the investment and hard work,’ she said, ‘We have to rely on middlemen to sell .’ She said that everyone in her village votes for the same party . But she said that there is no information about much development so far . UML regional leader Daman Pata says that the election fervor has now reached rural areas including Nisdi . ‘At this time, everyone in the village is eager for work,’ he said . 

Not only Nisdi, which falls under Palpa area number-1, but also Rampur Purvakhola, Mathagadhi, and Rambha rural municipalities have not yet reached the election fervor . This area is lagging behind in development . Millions of rupees have been spent on access to subsidiary and branch roads in this area . But the main roads have become deserted . The roads that have started to be upgraded are not yet complete. Some are like abandoned. Rampur Municipality is somewhat developed compared to other municipalities.

In the upcoming House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 21, 9 parties including UML, Congress, NCP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and four independent candidates are competing in this constituency. But voters claim that there will be a three-way competition in this constituency. It is claimed that there will be a competition between UML, Congress and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Despite the unity between the CPN-Unified Socialist Party and the CPN-Maoist Center, there has been no significant impact in Constituency No. 1. Political analysts claim that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will enter the UML-Congress competition last time.

In the 2079 House of Representatives elections, Narayan Prasad Acharya of UML won this constituency by securing 31,103 votes. His nearest rival, Gyan Bahadur Gaha of the Congress, secured 20,256 votes. In the previous election, independent candidate Bipin Kandel got 2,863 votes. Thamman Bahadur Budha Magar of Mongol National Organization also got 1,916 votes.

UML has repeated Acharya. He had won earlier and was elected as Lumbini Province Assembly member from Palpa Constituency No. 1 (B) in the 2074 Provincial Assembly election. This time, Congress has fielded Sandeep Rana as its candidate. He is a Lumbini Province member of Congress, a Mahasamiti member and the president of the International BP Chintan Pratishthan. Congress regional president Jhaman Rajmagar claims that Rana, who has been active in politics by staying close to the youth in rural areas, is seen as a candidate who can challenge the strong hold of UML in Palpa-1.