Civic leader Chandra Bahadur Oli argues that voters should elect the most capable and qualified person based on the party's agenda and the candidates' abilities.
What you should know
Former Nepali Congress acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, who has been contesting elections from Surkhet Constituency No. 1 since 2048 BS, became a member of the House of Representatives for the sixth time in the last election with 42,607 votes. He was defeated in the 2074 BS election for the House of Representatives, but was a proportional representation member of the Constituent Assembly in 2064 BS.
In the constituency where he has been winning for a long time, the Congress has fielded his brother Bishnu Bahadur, while Dhruv Kumar Shahi, who has won and lost once with Purna Bahadur, is in the fray on behalf of the UML. Due to this, the Surkhet-1 election has become interesting.
In 2074 BS, when Shahi won with 36,759 votes, Purna Bahadur was satisfied with 33,277 votes, while in the last House of Representatives election, when Purna Bahadur was the winner, Shahi was limited to 30,988 votes. Shahi is the UML Provincial Committee Secretary. 55-year-old Dhruv Kumar Shahi started politics from the Nepal National University of Science and Technology in 2045 BS while studying at the Mahendra Multiple Campus in Nepalgunj. He holds a master's degree in rural development from Tribhuvan University and was elected as the chairman of the former Masahare VDC in 2054 BS at the age of 27. He has been the district chairman of the CPN-UML for two terms.
Congress candidate and Purna Bahadur's brother Bishnu is participating in the election for the first time. He is the party's district vice-president and also an established businessman in Surkhet. Khadka is running Maya Nursing Home and New Maya Oil Store and is the chairman of Madhya Paschimanchal Yatayat Pvt. Ltd. He said that he has filed his candidacy to make people-friendly laws, alert the government about the problems of the district and for the development and prosperity of Surkhet.
'I am not only his (Purna Bahadur) brother, I also have a separate identity in politics, business and social service, I have entered the election to fulfill the election promises that my brother could not fulfill,' he said, 'I will easily win due to the strong organization and activity of the party.' Congress Surkhet President Khadak Bahadur Pokharel said that Khadka's social service spirit, leadership role and deep public relations were the basis for the victory.
Jeet Bahadur Rana is contesting from the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) in Constituency No. 1. He is a former combatant commander who has been involved in politics since 2047. He was previously the Surkhet district in-charge of the Maoists. He said that his long-standing political sacrifice, honesty and close relationship with the people are the basis of his victory.
‘I have been active with the people in the work of the people so far, making the government accountable through the problems of the voters and developing Surkhet are my agenda,’ he said, ‘I am committed to connecting the youth to employment and institutionalizing the essence of the Gen-G movement.’
Young leader Ravikiran Hamal, who emerged from the Gen-G movement, is the candidate for Surkhet-1 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP). He is a central member of the RPP. He said that his candidacy is against injustice, misrule and corruption. ‘Youth representation in parliament is also necessary to institutionalize the issues of the Genji movement. My agenda is to fulfill the prosperity, development and people’s expectations desired by the youth,’ he said. ‘We, the youth, will make the distorted politics in line with the people’s expectations.’
Tek Bahadur Singh is in the fray from the National Independent Party (NISP). Singh, a former district vice-president of the Nepali Congress, joined the NISP last November. He said that he has intensified his campaigning, door-to-door campaigning, and voter meetings.
‘People are disgusted with the old political parties. My agenda is to be responsible to the people and take law-making and development together,’ he said. ‘My efforts will be to make the people practically sovereign by ensuring good governance, development in line with people’s expectations, ending corruption and fully implementing fundamental rights.’
13 people have registered their candidacies in Surkhet-1. Looking at the organizational status of the major parties, past election results and the current election atmosphere, civic leader Chandra Bahadur Oli says that the main competition in this area is between the Congress, UML and NCP. He argues that the voters should make the most capable and qualified person victorious by looking at the agendas of the parties and the capabilities of the candidates.
‘Now the capabilities of the candidate are more important than the party, the Genji rebellion happened because of the false assurances of the candidate,’ he said, ‘There is a need to institutionalize the issues of the Genji movement from this election, so voters need to vote more consciously, so that they do not regret their current vote later.’
In the last provincial assembly election, Khadga Bahadur Pokharel of the Congress won from 1 (1) with 18,264 votes and Krishna Bahadur GC of the NCP won from 1 (2) with 21,734 votes. According to the office of the Returning Officer, there are 13 candidates in Surkhet-1.
This area includes Birendranagar-15 and 16, Bheriganga, Gurbhakot and Lekbeshi municipalities, and Simta and Chingad rural municipalities. UML has won Birendranagar Municipality, Bheriganga Municipality, Simta and Chingad rural municipalities, while Congress has won Gurbhakot.
