In the upcoming House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 21, Khadga Bahadur Bishwakarma has returned to the ballot box after 18 years. Mahendra Bahadur Shahi is in the running for the fourth time. However, he is being challenged by Harsha Bahadur Bam of the Nepali Congress and Nagindra Shahi of the UML, Prakash Neupane of the National Independent Party, among others.

After the former Maoists joined the peace process, Bishwakarma won the first Constituent Assembly election held in 2064 BS from Kalikot-1 by getting 27,629 votes. He also became the Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare in 2065 BS and the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation in 2067 BS. However, after the first Constituent Assembly failed to promulgate a constitution, the former Maoists split in Asad 2069 BS. After the split, Bishwakarma joined the CPN-M led by Mohan Baidya.

Bishwakarma's parliamentary journey ended when the party boycotted the second Constituent Assembly election in 2070 BS. Soon after, in Mangs 2071 BS, after the Baidya group also split, Bishwakarma became the spokesperson of the Nepal Communist Party led by Netra Bikram Chand. The party boycotted all the elections held in the meantime.

After Bishwakarma left the party, Mahendra Bahadur Shahi won the second Constituent Assembly election from the former Maoists. He also became the Minister of Energy. Shahi was elected as a member of the Provincial Assembly in the 2074 BS Provincial Assembly election with 12,153 votes out of 1 (1). At that time, there was an alliance between the former Maoists and the UML. He won again in the 2079 BS House of Representatives election with 23,727 votes. At that time, the Congress and the former Maoists had formed an alliance.

In the upcoming House of Representatives election to be held on Falgun 21, Bishwakarma has returned to the 'ballot' journey after 18 years, while Shahi is in the race for the fourth time. But they are being challenged by Harsha Bahadur Bam of the Nepali Congress and Nagindra Shahi of the UML, Prakash Neupane of the National Independent Party and others.

In this election, four candidates, including Mahendra, Khadga Bahadur, Man Bahadur Tiruwa of Raskot who filed his candidacy as an independent candidate, and Asmin Bista of Narharinath, are from the former Maoist background. Due to which the election has become interesting . Initially, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) had recommended the name of coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal as a direct candidate . But after he chose Rukum East, the party recommended 11 people . Finally, Shahi got the ticket . 

UML candidate Shahi was defeated by CPN candidate Shahi in the last election . He won by 16,718 votes . Shahi, a permanent resident of Raskot-5, is the former district president of UML and was elected as a central member for the second time in the 11th general convention . He said that he has prioritized development including education, health, tourism, infrastructure and will play an effective role in policy making and law making within the parliament . ‘It is necessary to draw the federal government’s attention to all kinds of problems in the district,’ he said, ‘The prosperity of the district and the happiness of the people of Kalikot are my main agenda.’

Bam is a former district president of the Nepali Congress. He said that his agenda is to emphasize the formulation of laws friendly to backward communities including Dalits, indigenous peoples and bring the district into the mainstream of development. He said that he will take initiatives in the construction of infrastructure such as regular flights at the Suntharali Airport, which has been closed for a long time, upgrading the Karnali Corridor, and the Phukot-Karnali Hydropower Project. ‘Meeting the minimum basic needs of the citizens and providing employment to the youth are also my priorities,’ he said, ‘The problem of drinking water and irrigation in the district is serious, and I will also take initiatives to make farmers self-reliant through agricultural business.’

Neupane, who was nominated by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is a chartered accountant (CA) and is a half-time candidate. He claims that he will attract the votes of the youth. He said that he has made the needs of the people, development and good governance his main agenda. ‘I have come with a plan to promote indigenous products, tourism sector, health, agricultural production and make people self-reliant,’ he said, ‘We have come to the election field nationwide with people-friendly laws and people-friendly agenda, our victory is assured this time as the people are looking for alternatives.’

Civic leader Daman Raj Bam says that the internal disputes seen in all parties, the selection of old candidates and the changing attitude of voters will change the results. He says that Kalikot, which is the weakest in Karnali in the Human Development Index, has still not come into the mainstream of development. ‘Most of the residents do not even have enough to eat for six months with their own produce, and as the unemployment problem worsens, most of them are forced to go to India to work as laborers to earn a living,’ he said. ‘Even if the candidate wins and does not fulfill the agenda they brought during the election, the majority of the residents are deprived of government services and development.’

This time, since there is no alliance between any party, local expert Leelaram Neupane said that this election will show the real state of the parties. ‘It is necessary for voters to vote for the most capable person by looking at the work done by the candidates in the past and their agenda for the future,’ he said. ‘Now the people have become very divided, so it is necessary to be vigilant about whether the people’s representatives they elected have worked as promised or not.’

Kalikot, which has 84,646 voters, has a large Dalit community. There is data from the National Census-2078 that 29.15 percent of the Dalit community resides there. Civic leader Harilal Bishwakarma said that the votes of the Dalit community will also be decisive in this election. In the Provincial Assembly Election-2079, Durga Bahadur Rawat of the NCP won from Constituency No. 1(1) with 9,14 votes and Hikmat Bahadur Bista of the Nepali Congress from 1(2) with 13,783 votes. In the last local level election in Kalikot, which has 9 local levels, two independent candidates, namely the mayor of Khadachakra Municipality and the chairman of Sannitriveni Rural Municipality, won. Both the mayor of Khadachakra Municipality, Kamal Bahadur Shahi, and the chairman of Sannitriveni Rural Municipality, Mohan Bahadur KC, are currently in the Nepali Communist Party. Similarly, the Congress had fielded three candidates, namely one mayor, one rural municipality chairman, and one vice-chairman, the NCP had fielded 10 candidates, namely the mayor, deputy mayor, rural municipality chairman, and vice-chairman, and the UML had fielded three candidates, namely one deputy mayor and two vice-chairmen. The results were mixed in most local levels.