Uma Bohara of Taranagar, Dhangadhi-5, is not attracted to the promises of candidates who come to her house seeking votes. “All the candidates only make promises, but they don’t deliver,” she said. “This time, I will vote with great care.”
What you should know
Candidates from various parties have already started their door-to-door campaign in the hilly districts of the Far West for the upcoming elections to be held on Falgun 21 last week.
When senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Balendra Shah reached Martadi, the Bajura district headquarters, on Thursday, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Bajura candidate Hemraj Thapa was on a door-to-door campaign in various villages of Himali Rural Municipality in a remote area, seeking votes. Candidate Thapa had informed through social media that he could not come to the district headquarters because he was on a door-to-door campaign in a remote area. He has been on a door-to-door campaign in remote villages of the northeastern Kolti region since the day he registered his candidacy.
The candidates of the Congress, UML, NCP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are in the main competition in Bajura. Nepali Communist Party candidate Prakash Shah has been going door-to-door in the northeastern Kolti region since a week ago, seeking votes. UML candidate Lal Bahadur Thapa has been going door-to-door in Khaptad Chhede Daha Rural Municipality since Saturday after meeting in Gaumul Rural Municipality. Congress candidate Janak Raj Giri said that he will start door-to-door campaign from Monday.
So far, no candidate in Bajura has prepared an election manifesto like the past. Candidates who go door to door are seeking votes in their own ways. NCP candidate Prakash Shah is seeking votes by saying that when he was a minister in the provincial government, he allocated the highest budget in the province for development infrastructure including roads, drinking water, schools, irrigation projects and more in Bajura and that he will contribute more in the future. Similarly, UML candidate Lal Bahadur Thapa is seeking votes by saying that UML should win as it is facing a national crisis. 
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) candidate Hemraj Thapa is seeking votes by saying that he will raise his voice for the development of Bajura as it is at the bottom of the Bajura Development Index. Local voters say that the candidates are also making issues of agriculture, health, roads, bridges, drinking water, and youth employment as election slogans.
Eight candidates are in the election race in Bajura. Upendra Shahi, who has filed his candidacy as an independent, Keshar Bahadur Shahi from the RPP, and Deepak DC from the Progressive Democratic Party (Pralopa), are also candidates.
Candidates from Baitadi, another hilly district of the far west, are also on a door-to-door campaign. UML candidate Damodar Bhandari said that in the first phase, they are conducting a door-to-door campaign in all municipalities. UML District President Naresh BK said that separate teams are being formed in each municipality to meet voters.
Congress candidate Chaturbhuj Chand has also started a door-to-door campaign from Purchaudi Municipality. Congress Baitadi Treasurer Dipendra Bahadur Chand said that the team with the candidate started the campaign from Purchaudi to meet voters to listen to their demands. Nepali Communist Party (NCP) candidate Paramananda Bhatta is also on a door-to-door campaign. The candidate's team will join the door-to-door campaign in Sigas Rural Municipality from Monday, said NCP Baitadi leader Laxmi Joshi. 
RSP candidate Harimohan Bhandari's team has also started a ward-level meeting campaign at all local levels in the district, said RSP leader Bhojraj Joshi. Similarly, RPP candidate Bhupen Chand will also start the second phase of door-to-door campaign from Tuesday after completing the first phase of meetings, said District President Indra Devshran Bhatta.
Voters do not rely on assurances
Candidates have also started door-to-door campaign in various constituencies of Kailali. But voters do not believe in the assurances given by candidates who go door-to-door during the campaign.
Uma Bohara of Dhangadi-5 Taranagar is not attracted to the assurances given by candidates who go door-to-door seeking votes. 'All candidates only make promises, but do not act,' she said, 'This time we will vote with great care.'
In the previous elections, Seti Hospital was also assured of upgrading to hundreds of beds. But candidates for the upcoming elections are also making the same assurances. ‘Nowadays, some candidates are even talking about the agenda of building Geta Medical College, constructing Fapla Cricket Stadium, and upgrading Dhangadhi Airport,’ said Min Bahadur Khadka of Dhangadhi Santoshi Tole, ‘but I am not immediately convinced.’
