Baglung, which once served as the main 'headquarters' of the National Janamorcha, is now facing a challenge to survive. While elections are being held without an alliance across the country, there is coordination between the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) and the Janamorcha in Baglung. Even with this alliance, the Janamorcha is finding it difficult to face the challenge of the rival Congress, UML and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

In the elections from 2051 to 2079, the influence of Janamorcha President Chitra Bahadur KC was visible here. From 2048 to 2074, Janamorcha was a battleground in local politics. Since Janamorcha had significant influence, it used to clash with other parties. Many liked KC for his original style and habit of making realistic comments on politics. 

KC campaigned against federalism from the very beginning of the constitution-making process. His main issue was and still is that federalism cannot be tolerated in a country like Nepal. Although the major parties in the country are institutionally in favor of federalism, there were/are thousands of cadres within those parties who supported the issues raised by KC. But why could his agenda not bear the organizational burden? 

According to Dhruvaraj Gautam, head of the Management Department of Dhaulagiri Campus, the organization of Janamorcha has been deteriorating since 2074. He says that although the issue of abolishing federalism and good governance is preferred by the common citizen, the attraction towards Jan Morcha is gradually decreasing due to its shrinking role at the national level. ‘Due to the threshold in the elections after the promulgation of the constitution, Jan Morcha could not become a national party. Its influence in national politics was also not seen,’ Gautam said, ‘That is why the organization of Jan Morcha has become weak.’ 

This time, party chairman KC has not stood directly and has sat on the proportional representation. For KC to become an MP through the proportional representation, Jan Morcha must cross the 3 percent ‘threshold’, which is unlikely. In the 2079 election, Jan Morcha received a total of 40,504 votes under the proportional representation. The party needs to get more than 300,000 votes to cross the 3 percent ‘threshold’. However, in Baglung, where Jan Morcha’s main base is, it received only 4,986 votes from Constituency No. 1 and 3,630 votes from Constituency No. 2 in the 2079 election. 

When there were 240 constituencies, there were three constituencies in Baglung. The former No. 2 and now No. 1 constituencies were strongly held by Janamorcha. Chairman Chitra Bahadur KC had been elected from there several times without an alliance. With the promulgation of the constitution on 3 Asoj 2072, most of No. 2 fell into No. 1 constituency, and Janamorcha's base has been declining. 

However, Chairman KC says that no party has the power to weaken Janamorcha's agenda. He says that he did not field a candidate directly this time due to family problems. 'There has been propaganda that he was not a candidate due to age. But that is not true. He did not have time to run because his wife was ill,' he said. 'Old and young are not due to age but to work. Those who cannot work are also ineligible in their youth.'

Due to the alliance, the Congress did not get a candidate in both constituencies of this district in the 2079 elections. At that time, the Congress, Maoists and Janamorcha had formed an alliance. On the strength of the alliance, Janamorcha Chairman KC was elected from Constituency No. 1 and Maoist (currently CPN) leader Devendra Poudel from Constituency No. 2. This time, Janamorcha has fielded Krishna Prasad Sharma Adhikari as its candidate in Baglung-1.

‘This constituency is the bed (fertilizer) of Janamorcha, many plants have grown and died, but new plants are with us,’ Adhikari said, ‘Yesterday, we have confirmed the agenda and ideas we raised in Parliament and on the streets. Therefore, the votes of all those with leftist leanings will go to us.’ In the last local level elections, Janamorcha, in alliance with the Nepali Congress, won the posts of mayor in Jaimini Municipality of Baglung, vice-chairman in Bareng and Kathekhola Rural Municipality, and 2 ward chairmen in Bareng, 1 in Kathekhola, and 1 in Jaimini. In Constituency No. 2, it only won the vice-chairman post in Badigad Rural Municipality. Janamorcha got the post of head of the District Coordination Committee with the majority of the Nepali Congress.

The NCP has fielded Gyamnath Gaire as its candidate in constituency number 2 this time. This time, NCP leader Devendra Poudel wanted to contest from constituency number 1, where he lives. However, after the Janamorcha made a claim, he is leaving his home district and contesting from West Nawalparasi-2. From constituency number 1, the Congress has fielded Bhim Shrees Rana, the UML has fielded Hira Bahadur Khatri, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has fielded Sushil Khadka. From constituency number 2, the Congress has fielded Tekraj Poudel, the UML has fielded Manju Sharma Chalise, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has fielded Som Sharma.

There are new candidates from both constituencies. Tekraj Poudel, who was elected as a central member from the special general convention, has got a ticket for the first time. The Congress candidate Bhim Shrees Rana has also got a ticket for the first time. He was the president of the Tribhuvan University Student Union from 2062 to 2065. He served two terms as a member, then as vice-president and then as president. He was also declared 'Man of the Election' by getting the most votes in all the elections of the Self-Union University. 

UML candidate Hirabadur Khatri is the former president of Dhaulagiri Multiple Campus Self-Union University. Khatri was defeated by Hari Khadka of the Congress in the second Constituent Assembly election of 2070. In 2079, he was defeated by Dipendra Bahadur Thapa of the Congress in the Provincial Assembly. Manju Sharma Chalise, who was a candidate from Constituency No. 2, joined the UML from the Congress. She had contested as a rebel candidate for the post of mayor of Galkot Municipality from the Congress in 2074. She joined the UML after being defeated. It was from the UML that she was defeated by the alliance of the Congress, Maoists and Janamorcha in the 2079 elections. 

Chalise has claimed that she will win the election this time due to her social contribution and activism. 'I know this geography, I know what the priorities of development are. I grew up in this soil,' she said, 'Yes, we have had to face some difficulties after the Gen-G movement. But it was not because of the government or the party.'

Based on traditional organization, the Congress, UML and Janamorcha are the main competing parties in this district. This time, the influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has also increased. The RSS is betting on becoming the first by cutting the votes of these three parties. Especially in zone number 1 compared to zone number 2, the RSS is more popular. All the zones in the district headquarters fall under zone number 1. The number of students who come to the district headquarters from all corners of the district to study is significant. The attraction of the RSS is seen more among all three student groups.

'It is uncertain how much the rumor at the headquarters will translate into votes, if it also translates into votes, the RSS can turn it around,' said a local leader of the Congress. However, he claims that this is not the case among most voters in the upper age group. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) candidate Khadka claimed that he would win the election by drawing on his family connections, relations and votes from other parties. He said that his party's influence is greater in urban areas compared to rural areas. '43 percent of voters are within the municipality. 60 percent live in the surrounding areas. He has about 6,000 votes from his own and relatives,' he said. 'If we don't win even at this time, when will we win? Not for the old people now. People have not believed in the old thinking. This time it is for the new.'

Looking at the organization's votes in the last election, it seems that there will be a tough fight between the Congress and the UML in Baglung. In the 2079 election, the Congress got 16,493 votes from constituency 1. The UML had 15,428 votes and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had 7,877 votes. The then Maoists had only 2,857 votes in this area. Since the Maoists had fewer proportional votes in constituency 1, they chose constituency 2, which had more votes. The then Maoists' proportional votes in constituency 2 are 8,347. In this area too, the competition is between the Congress and the UML in terms of organizational votes. The Congress has secured 1,6283 votes and the UML has secured 15,468 votes. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has secured only 3,156 votes in this area.