Barshaman Pun, who has previously led the ministries of Peace and Reconstruction, Finance, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, is being challenged by Gokul Prasad Gharti Magar of UML, Dr. Sudan Kumar Wali of Nepali Congress, and Balaram Thapa of the National Independent Party.
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Nepali Communist Party (NCP) leader Barshaman Pun, who was elected three times as a member of the Constituent Assembly and the House of Representatives from the district, is in the race to win the election for the fourth time. Three young candidates are competing with Pun.
In the House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 21, Pun, who has previously led the ministries of Peace and Reconstruction, Finance, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, is being challenged by UML's Gokul Prasad Gharti Magar, Congress's Dr. Sudan Kumar Wali and Rastriya Swatantra Party's Balaram Thapa.
'Rolpali has trusted me twice. I am confident that I will trust them a third time as well,' Pun said, 'This time my candidacy is to complete an old and important plan.' Pun became the Finance Minister immediately after being elected from Lalitpur-1 in the first Constituent Assembly election in 2064.
He became the Minister of Peace and Reconstruction in 2067. He was the deputy commander of the then Maoist fighters during the civil war and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives twice from the district in 2074 and 2079. UML's Gharti Magar is competing with Pun for the first time.
Gharti Magar, who holds a master's degree in political science and English literature, came from student politics. 'I am active in the political field with a vision of development and a determination for prosperity,' he said. 'I have entered the competition after studying the main issues of the country from the local level.' UML had earlier elected him as a member of the Constituent Assembly through proportional representation. At that time, he was also the whip of the UML parliamentary party.
He has been active in politics since the student movement of 2046 BS and is the former vice-chairman of the National Foundation for the Upliftment of Indigenous Peoples. He said that he would complete the construction of the Martyr's Road that was started during the civil war and pay attention to the policy development of the agriculture, road, education, health and tourism sectors in the district.
Born in Iribang, Congress candidate Wali has a doctorate in economics from the University of International Trade and Economics in Beijing, China. He was active in student politics for two decades. ‘I have come to the election field to improve the country’s economy and develop Rolpa,’ he said, ‘The people will love me.’ He had worked as a member of the Economic Policy and Planning Department of the Nepali Congress and was previously a member of the Planning Commission of Lumbini Province.’
Thapa, a resident of Gajul, has studied up to a master’s degree in political science. He was previously a construction businessman. After making his candidacy, he and his team are meeting voters in the inner villages of the district. Engineer Ramesh Thapa, the district president of the Nepali Congress, said that this time the vote of the youth has increased and that they will get success in the election as per their wishes.
‘The people want new politics.’ This time, it has been found that the idea of changing the vote has been found in many places when they reach the villages,’ he said, ‘The youth want new leadership and politics.’ Although NCP Maoist leader Nekravitram Chand announced that he would be the candidate from here, Chudamani Wali has been made the candidate. A member of the Politburo, Wali was active in student politics for a long time. He is now visiting the families of martyrs and the disabled who were injured in the then armed conflict. He lost his brother in the conflict. ‘I escaped torture while agitating for the people,’ he said. ‘I have been in detention for more than 12 years during the conflict and after that.’ This time, Ammar Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, 75, of the RPP, Mekh Bahadur Bista, 57, of the Rajmo, Kumar Gharti Magar, 53, of the Mongol National Organization, Man Bahadur Gharti Magar, 29, of the National Republic Nepal, and Dil Bahadur Kami, 50, of the Aam Janata Party, are the candidates.
