Sita Baral of Pokhara-22 Pumdibhumdi, who had come to the hospital to wait for a patient, walked past the pile of garbage at Sirjana Chowk with her nose covered. After seeing the garbage piled up in front of the Metro City Hospital at Sirjana Chowk, she said, "I am afraid that I will get sick from this garbage myself, as I have come to wait for a patient."

It has been 2 months since regular garbage collection from the central city of Pokhara Metropolitan City. After the Pokhara International Airport came into operation on January 1, 2022, the permanent landfill site in Pokhara-14 Bachhebuduwa had to be shifted. The landfill site had to be shifted due to fears that birds would increase their activity in the garbage as it was located near the airport.

After Dhanraj Acharya was elected as the mayor of Pokhara-32 Lameahal with the support of the then Unified Socialist Party and the Maoists, a temporary dumping site was built in Pokhara-32 Lameahal. The dumping site was filled after the locals gave their consent to rebuild the ruins. The metropolis had moved forward with the project of building a garbage processing center in Pokhara-33 and generating electricity or gas. But even after 3 years, the necessary land for the processing center was not available. The locals of Pokhara-33 Punditar refused to provide the land. Even though a company was selected to build the processing center, due to the lack of land, The construction work has not been able to start .

The metropolis had sought a temporary management site until the processing center was built . But protests were held at those sites led by local leaders of political parties . Although district-level leaders of political parties expressed their commitment to cooperate in waste management in a meeting called by the metropolis, they have not coordinated at the local level . Due to this, the waste of Pokhara, which has been declared the tourist capital, is piling up on the streets . 

On the other hand, Pokhara Airport, which has been gripped by corruption and geopolitics, has not been able to operate regular international flights . No concrete initiative has been taken for regular international flights at the airport, which is said to be linked to the fate and future of Pokhara . In Kaski, which has three constituencies, candidates from different parties are in the election fray with the common issue of waste management and regular international flights at the airport. 

The water of Fewa Lake looks golden after the morning sun . Pokhara always looks beautiful on tourist postcards, the shadow of Machhapuchhre, the coffee at the lakeside, the sunrise at Sarangkot. But during the election season, another face of this city is revealed, a man walking towards the capital carrying an empty jar, a field destroyed by monkeys before the crops could ripen, and the patience of an old man standing on a dusty road. The House of Representatives election on 21 Falgun is not just a test of strength for Kaski, it is a day to measure the distance between expectations and results.

Three constituencies, three different geographies and three different minds. From the lap of the Himalayas to the banks of Fewa, from the forests of Madi to the foot of Machhapuchhre. This time, Kaski voters will not examine the faces of the candidates, but their agendas.

Kaski 1: Pure drinking water and the concerns of monkeys
The daily life of 57-year-old Bhakta Bahadur Gurung of Pokhara Metropolitan City Ward No. 13 begins with an empty jar. As soon as he wakes up in the morning, he walks with the jar. When the water coming from the tap at home is not drinkable, he crosses the suspension bridge to reach Silinge Khoch in Pokhara Metropolitan City Ward 26 to collect spring water. 'It's been a long time since I have drunk the water coming from the tap at home. Here, I get spring water,' he said.

Behind him, there is a line of neighbors queuing to fill their water. The thirst of the tourist city of Pokhara has not yet been quenched. The taps at home have been reached through the Mardi Drinking Water Project, but consumers complain that the water coming from those taps is not drinkable. Boring water is being distributed in most wards. The daily noise has subsided, but the worry about drinking water has not gone away.

Not only drinking water, another problem is also ongoing in Kaski area number 1, human-monkey conflict. 'We cultivate but we cannot bring it in. Monkeys destroy crops before they can ripen. They enter homes and eat food and even attack people,' says Prabha Poudel of Sundaridanda, Pokhara-28, with both passion and restlessness.

Rupa Rural Municipality has allocated Rs 8.5 million this year for monkey control and has started a campaign to promote crops that monkeys do not eat, such as ginger, garlic and turmeric. But solutions are being sought, the problem is not over. Gandaki Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey had announced that he would support the National Innovation Center to make a device to stop monkeys. But so far, no concrete effect has been seen.

Kaski Constituency No. 1, bordering Lamjung and Tanahun, is the northeastern region of Pokhara Metropolitan City, including wards 10, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32, Rupa and Madi rural municipalities. There is a mixed population of Gurungs, Magars, Brahmins-Chhetris and Dalits here. Lekhnath, the birthplace of poet Lekhnath Paudyal, is in this region. The 116,878 voters here are the final deciders of the election.

This region, which is rich in cultural and literary heritage, has produced leaders such as former Speaker Taranath Ranabhat, former Minister Khagraj Adhikari, and Yagya Bahadur Thapa. But it has not been able to produce big leaders who can intervene in national politics. The voters here have presented themselves as independent voters by changing their votes repeatedly.

In the 2037 referendum, Kaski was the only one among the six districts of Gandaki to stand in favor of multi-party politics. Out of 75,360 voters, 39,769 votes fell in favor of the multi-party party. In the first general election of 2048, Congress's Taranath Ranabhat won. Then, in 2051, UML, in 2056, Congress, in 2064, Maoist Center's Dev Gurung won in the Constituent Assembly election, Maoist's Krishna Bahadur Gurung won in the by-election, Congress's Yagya Bahadur Thapa in 2070, UML's Khagraj Adhikari in 2074, and UML's Man Bahadur Gurung in 2079 won. The specialty of this constituency is that no single party has been able to dominate permanently here.

This time, 17 people are in the fray in Kaski 1. UML's Bain Bahadur Adhikari Chhetri is Kaski District President and former head of the District Coordination Committee. He is a candidate in the parliamentary election for the first time. Congress's Tilak Bahadur Ranabhat is a Congress Mahasamiti member who does business in Kathmandu.

He supported Gagan Thapa's leadership by standing in favor of the special general convention and got the ticket by pushing aside other prominent leaders. Tilak, the owner of the house where party president Thapa's secretariat is located, and a manpower businessman, has been supported by everyone within the party. Khadak Raj Poudel 'Ganess' of the National Independent Party is a writer and analyst, leader of the 'Ateri Campaign', and a central member of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party. Ganness, who rose to the position of mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City with a stick symbol in the last local level elections, is now trying to enter the House of Representatives from Balendra Shah's team with a Rastriya Swatantra Party ticket.

Rajkaji Gurung 'Karan' of the Nepali Communist Party is a Maoist leader during the People's War. He won from Kaski 3 in 2064 and is now a candidate from Kaski 1. He is on a strategy to gain the trust of indigenous peoples and marginalized classes by coming with the issue of class struggle.

Manisha Dwa of Ujjaya Nepal Party is a Nepali female astrophotographer, astronomer, and a member of the Nepal Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union. Coming from a completely different field than politics, she has now entered the election fray with the dream of public service.

Baburam Ranabhat of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ramkaji Charmkar of the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Rabimohan Dhakal of the Rastriya Janamorcha, Karna Bahadur Gurung of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, and Shravan Thapa of the Mongol National Organization. Kumar Pariyar of the CPN-Maoist, Harka Bahadur Thapa of the Aam Janata Party, and independent candidate Krishna Bahadur Raut are in the fray.

Voters are currently in the fray with both expectations and anger. Tilak Adhikari of Pokhara Ward 26 said, ‘We voted for everyone after the multi-party system came, but are we losing jobs?’ Now my vote will go only to those who build a country that increases local production and prevents youth from emigrating.' Samantaraj Subedi, 75, of Bhachok, Madi Rural Municipality, is troubled by the poor condition of the roads. He says, 'Dust in winter, mud in rain. I will not vote for those who do not build roads this time.'

The voters of Kaski 1 seem to be divided into three camps this time. Those who believe in the old parties (Congress-UML), those who have drifted into the wave of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), and those who believe in the class agenda of the NCP. In the 2079 election, UML's Man Bahadur Gurung won with 25,708 votes. Congress's Kishore Dutt Baral got 23,189 votes, RPP's Surya Bahadur Gurung got 3,08 votes, and RPP's Raju Rai got 10,941 votes. The Congress was supported by the then Maoists.

In the proportional representation, the RSVP got 15,864 votes. UML got 21,423 votes, Congress got 16,000 votes, and Maoists got 5,108 votes. Ysult RSVP's Ganes is excited by the strength of both the first-time votes and the nationwide wave. The legacy of the UML, the organization of the Congress, and the fresh wave of the RSVP are sure to lead to a tripartite contest in Kaski-1 this time.

Kaski-2: Different problems, same dissatisfaction
An international airport has been built in Pokhara, but tourism entrepreneurs are disappointed because it is not fully operational. Ward 14, where the airport is located, falls in area number 1, and the tourist area Lakeside is in area number 3. Pokhara Tourism Council Chairman Taranath Pahari says, 'What good is it to us if the infrastructure is built but there are no flights?' Garbage management, lack of parking, unorganized urban expansion, these are the urban pains. The problems in Kaski-2 are different, but the dissatisfaction is the same.

UML's Rabindra Adhikari won the election three times in a row from this constituency. After his death in a helicopter crash in Taplejung, his wife Vidya Bhattarai preserved his legacy in both the by-election (2076) and the regular election (2079). After Vidya decided to withdraw from the election race this time, UML has fielded Rashmi Acharya. Rashmi, a PhD scholar in law and international relations, is a strong candidate. But public anger towards the party's central leadership has become a challenge for her.

Rajendra Poudel of Pokhara-33 Bagmara recalled that Vidya also won because of development during Rabindra's time. He understands that Vidya resigned from the Education Minister's post after the leadership did not allow her to do the job. He said, ‘I don’t want to vote for UML as long as KP Oli is there.’

Kaski area number 2, which includes 11 wards (4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21 and 33) of Pokhara Metropolitan City, is the market center and suburban area of ​​Pokhara. There is a Brahmin-Khetri majority here, along with Gurung, Magar, Newar, Dalit and other castes. UML’s Rabindra Adhikari won from here even when the Maoists were in power in 2064. This area is associated with his name. Sarita Mahat of Pokhara Ward 33 Bareilly Chowk has two sons who study in campus. They are 19 and 22 years old. They have told their mother, ‘If you don’t vote for the symbol we have given, we won’t even eat the rice you cook.’

Dhruvraj Adhikari’s story of Bharatpokhari is even more dramatic. His son, who had never voted for any party except the Communist Party, called and told him to 'vote for a different symbol this time'. After refusing, the son hung up the phone. The conflict between one generation's party loyalty and the next generation's desire for change can be seen in most homes in Kaski 2.

17 candidates, including 12 parties and 5 independents, have filed their candidacies in Kaski Constituency No. 2. UML's Rashmi Acharya is a PhD scholar, law and international relations expert, a young, capable candidate. But the challenge of bearing the burden of public anger against the party leadership is facing him. Congress's Madhav Prasad Bastola is a leader who has built an honest image within the party. He has also got his first opportunity in parliamentary elections.

Uttam Prasad Poudel of the National Independent Party is a News 24 Kalin colleague of party president Ravi Lamichhane. Hem Bahadur Parajuli of the Nepali Communist Party and Rashmi of UML are from the same ward. Parajuli is a former People's Liberation Army and student leader. Hemjung Gurung, the central vice-president of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, who has been contesting elections from Lamjung in the past, is contesting from this constituency. Kushal Gurung of the Ujjaya Nepal Party is an energy expert. Deepak Bhandari is in the fray from Pralopa. Innocent Bikram Poudel, who had filed an independent candidacy, has withdrawn his candidacy and supported the Congress.

In 2079, Vidya Bhattarai won with 16,998 votes. The RSP candidate unexpectedly got 12,495 votes. In the proportional representation, the RSP came first with 14,02 votes. While the UML got 13,540 votes. The Congress got only 10,553 votes and the Maoists got only 2,404 votes. यस क्षेत्रमा मुख्य प्रतिस्पर्धा रश्मी (एमाले) र उत्तमप्रसाद (रास्वपा) बीचको हुने देखिए पनि कांग्रेस र नेकपालाई पनि कम आँक्न मिल्दैन ।

कास्की ३ः अपूरो संरचना बन्ने आशा
०७९ असारको बाढीले मर्दी दोभानको पक्की पुलको एकतर्फी भाग बगाएपछि तीन वर्ष बितिसकेछन् । पुल अझै सञ्चालनमा आएको छैन । अहिले दुई पांग्रे सवारी मात्र जोखिमपूर्ण रूपमा गुड्न सक्छन् ।

कास्की निर्वाचन क्षेत्र नम्बर ३ अन्तर्गत पर्ने पोखरा वडा २५ र माछापुच्छ्रे गाउँपालिकाका बासिन्दा यस पुलका कारण लामो र घुमाउरो बाटो प्रयोग गर्न बाध्य छन् । माछापुच्छ्रे–४ लाहाचोक भिरकटेराका ५० वर्षीय देव अधिकारीको प्रश्न छ, ‘कहिले कांग्रेस, कहिले एमाले, कहिले माओवादीलाई मत दिइयो । तर जनताले के पाए?’

माछापुच्छ्रे हिमालको फेदीदेखि फेवाताल किनारसम्म फैलिएको कास्की क्षेत्र नम्बर ३ मा पोखरा महानगरपालिकाका वडा नम्बर १, ३, ५, ६ र पछि गाभिएका १८, १९, २२ र २५, अन्नपूर्ण र माछापुच्छ्रे गाउँपालिकाका सबै वडा पर्छन् ।

यो क्षेत्रमा गुरुङ, मगर, दलित र ब्राह्मण–क्षेत्रीको बाहुल्यता छ । अन्नपूर्ण गाउँपालिकाको लेवाडेमा जन्मेका नेकपा संयोजक पुष्पकमल दाहालको जन्मथलो पनि यसै क्षेत्रमा पर्छ । कतिपय गाउँमा पुग्न अझै पैदल यात्रा नै गर्नुपर्छ । यहाँ एक लाख सात हजार ५ सय ६० मतदाता छन् ।  

गत १० पुसमा नेपाली कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (नेकपा) कास्की ३ क्षेत्रीय समितिको बैठकले प्रतिनिधिसभा निर्वाचनका लागि सम्भावित उम्मेदवारमा १६ जनाको नाम सिफारिस गर्दा पार्टी संयोजक दाहाललाई नम्बर एकमा राख्यो । दाहालकी बुहारी सिर्जना त्रिपाठीको नाम पनि सूचीमा थियो । तर उनी रुकुम पूर्व पुगे । गएको चुनावमा कास्की ३ बाट माओवादी केन्द्रका रामजी बराल जीवन कांग्रेसको समर्थनमा उम्मेदवार बने । तर उनी एमालेका दामोदर वैरागीसँग हारे ।

०७९ को प्रतिनिधिसभा निर्वाचनमा एमालेका दामोदर वैरागी पौडेल २२ हजार ९८ सय ८० मतसहित विजयी भए । बरालले १७ हजार ५ सय ३५ मत पाए । रास्वपाका योगराज पौडेल १२ हजार १ सय ८० मतसहित तेस्रो भए । समानुपातिकतर्फ एमालेले १९ हजार ३ सय ४६, कांग्रेसले १५ हजार ८ सय ३१, रास्वपाले १४ हजार १ सय ४३ र माओवादीले ३ हजार ९ सय ६३ मत पाएका थिए ।

एमालेका दामोदर वैरागी पौडेल अघिल्लो कार्यकाल पूरा गर्न नपाएकाले बाँकी काम पूरा गर्ने प्रतिवद्धतासहित दोहोरिएका छन् । कांग्रेसका मनोज गुरुङ युवा नेता, जनताको सुखदुःखको साथी बन्ने एजेन्डासहित चुनावी मैदानमा छन् । दाङसिङको छोरा र घान्द्रुकका भान्जा उनी गुरुङ समुदायको उल्लेख्य मत तान्ने विश्वासमा छन्।

विशेष महाधिवेशनको विपक्षमा उभिए पनि टिकट पाउनेभित्र उनी पर्छन् । रास्वपाकी बिना गुरुङ सामाजिक व्यक्तित्व, जनजाति बाहुल्य क्षेत्रमा महिला उम्मेदवार हुन् । नेपाली कम्युनिस्ट पार्टीका गोपाल गिरी एमाले पृष्ठभूमिका वाम नेता हुन् । राष्ट्रिय प्रजातन्त्र पार्टीका अर्जुन खनाल बैदाममा पर्यटन व्यवसायी हुन् । राजा र हिन्दु राज्यको एजेन्डा उनले बोकेका छन् ।

उज्यालो नेपाल पार्टीबाट तर्कबहादुर गुरुङ, श्रम संस्कृति पार्टीबाट हितकाजी गुरुङ, नेकपा माओवादीबाट कमल खड्का विश्वकर्मा । नेपाल मातृभूमि पार्टीबाट ओमप्रकाश विश्वकर्मा । आम जनता पार्टीबाट कुशल थापा क्षेक्री, मंगोल नेसनल अर्गनाइजेसनबाट जीवनबहादुर गुरुङ, संयुत्त नागरिक पार्टीबाट टेकबहादुर सार्की उम्मेदवार छन् ।