Kapilvastu-3, which has the highest number of ministers in the history of the district, currently has 36 candidates from various parties and independents in the fray. The candidates are appealing to disgruntled and angry leaders and activists.
What you should know
The election atmosphere in Kapilvastu-3 has become complicated, with a new candidate competing alongside a former minister. This time, new candidates are challenging candidates who have won and become ministers many times before. This has made the Kapilvastu-3 election interesting.
In this constituency, which will have the most ministers in the history of the district, 36 candidates from various parties and independents are currently in the race. At present, the door-to-door campaign of the candidates is in the final stage. The candidates are luring disgruntled and angry leaders and activists. The old parties with strong party organizations are focused on trying to protect their votes. The candidates who are entering the electoral contest for the first time are on a strategy to attract disgruntled activists and new voters. The UML, Congress and NCP are the organized parties in this constituency.
The old parties are challenged by the Rashtriya Mukti Party Nepal led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Rajendra Mahakto. The candidates of the major parties are campaigning with agendas such as development of rural areas, construction of technical infrastructure, construction of stadiums, irrigation, marketing of agricultural products and good governance. Abhishek Pratap Shah from the Congress and Birendra Kumar Kanodia from the UML are candidates in this constituency.
Kanodia, who was recommended as a single name by the Congress, had joined the UML 3 days before the nomination was filed. Kanodia, who became the Minister of State for Water Resources in the then Sher Bahadur Deuba-led government in 2058, left behind 5 decades of Congress politics and became the UML candidate. Shah, who was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly twice and as a member of the House of Representatives in 2074, is looking for his fourth victory.
Kanodia was also elected as a member of the House of Representatives in 2056 and as a member of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly from the Congress in 2074. Now Kanodia, who has changed parties, is looking for his third victory. Before being elected as a member of the House of Representatives from the Congress in 2074, the Congress candidate Shah was also elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly twice from the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum.
Prakash Rajouria, who contested as a member of the House of Representatives from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party in 2079, is now competing from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Ishwar Dayal Mishra, who contested the 2074 House of Representatives election with the Sun election symbol and the 2079 House of Representatives election from the Janata Pragatisheel Party, is contesting this time from the Rajendra Mahakto-led Rastriya Mutti Party (Chakia). Rajouria is currently in the race to win the election by using the wave of support for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Mishra is trying to win by wooing the Tharu community.
Ehsan Ahmed Khan is in the fray from the NCP. He joined the NCP-Maoist in 2076 and is still in the fray. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kapilvastu-3 from the Bahujan Shakti Party in 2074 and was defeated in 2079 as a Maoist candidate from the Democratic Left Alliance including the Congress for the Lumbini Provincial Assembly from Kapilvastu-3 (A). ‘I am the youngest member of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal, so I understand the feelings of the youth,’ said 43-year-old Shah, ‘I have become strong from the Congress legacy since 2015. I have done a lot of development work in the area. I have a plan for what should be done for the youth and how to make them employable and entrepreneurial, so I will win the election with confidence.’
UML candidate Kanodia said that he will win the election because he has the mantra to make the youth self-employed and self-reliant. 66-year-old Kanodia claimed that he understands the aspirations and desires of the youth well and will work accordingly to win the hearts of the youth. NCP candidate Khan is talking about plans to establish and operate an international dry port in Krishnanagar in Kalivastu-3, an industrial corridor in Shivraj Municipality and an agricultural, timber and livestock industrial corridor in Vijayanagar Rural Municipality. ‘The Muslim vote in this area is good,’ said 62-year-old Khan, ‘I get more than 80 percent.’ That is the basis of my victory.'
Mishra of the Rastriya Mukti Party (Chakia) said that the people got great relief because he expanded the road network in this area. He said that when he was the Minister of State for Physical Planning and Construction in the then Dr. Baburam Bhattarai-led government, he laid the foundation for development in the area. Mishra, who won the Constituent Assembly from Kalipastu-4 in 2064 from Tamalopa, contested the election as a member of the House of Representatives in 2070 with the UML's sun symbol and in 2079 from the Janata Pragatisheel Party.
Mishra, a provincial assembly member who was defeated by 7 votes in Kapilvastu-3 (A), is on his side and the 59-year-old candidate Mishra claimed that he is sure of victory because he is contesting from a party with Tharu leader Resham Chaudhary as the Tharu vote is decisive. Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Rajouria said that he is liked by the youth and the wave of change currently going on in the country is sure of victory. Earlier, in 2079, when he contested the election from Constituency No. 3 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, he got 14,030 votes.
52-year-old Rajouria said that he is confident of winning due to the desire for change he has now. In this constituency, which borders Dang, 36 candidates, including 13 from the party and 23 independents, are in the election contest. There are 148 polling stations in 72 polling stations in the constituency with a population of 118,404 voters.
