When UML leaders and activists accused him of being a 'tourist candidate', he would say, 'I am not a tourist candidate. I have come to work for the people of Bhaktapur.'
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Rajiv Khatri, who was working in the media on TV, wanted to enter politics after the Gen-G movement. He had an easy party, the National Independent Party. Khatri, who was close to the leaders of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party and worked with the Rashtriya Swatantra Party President Ravi Lamichhane on News 24, felt comfortable with that party.
Rajiv had chosen Kathmandu-10, where he currently resides, as his constituency. But the party sent him Bhaktapur-2. Pradeep Bista got a ticket in Kathmandu-10. The Rashtriya Swatantra Party won there too and Bhaktapur-2 too.
Bhaktapur-2 was not easy for Rajiv. The reason was that UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet was in the fray there. However, the vote result came in Rajiv's favor. Khatri, who left the media and entered politics, has now been elected as an MP in the House of Representatives after defeating Basnet, a leader considered close to UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, by a huge margin.
While Basnet got 10,996 votes, Khatri won by getting 42,334 votes. This constituency was considered 'Basnet's stronghold'. Where Khatri defeated Basnet by a margin of 31,338 votes.
UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, who was ousted from the post of Prime Minister after the Gen-G movement, had reached Gundu in Bhaktapur-2 in search of a place to live. Oli had reached Gundu because Basnet had a good influence there. Not only is Oli's residence being renovated, but an 'Oli Kuti' is also being built there. Oli's house in Bhaktapur's Balkot was set on fire during the protest on Bhadra 24.
Kabir Rana of the Congress came third in Bhaktapur-2. In the 2079 elections, Durlabh Thapa of the Congress had won from this constituency. This time, Rana of the Congress got only 8,401 votes. He is also a journalist by profession. Similarly, Ramesh Vaidya of the NEMKIPA, which is considered to have a good hold in Bhaktapur, came fourth with 3,753 votes, while Ram Prasad Sapkota of the NCP got 1,323 votes.
The wave of the RSVP across the country also reached Bhaktapur. The RSVP organization there supported Rajiv. They took the leaders affiliated with the RSVP there to the voters, saying that the organization is for the individual and the individual is for the organization, and asked them to cast their votes on the 'bell'.
While the Congress and the UML have been winning in this constituency alternately, this time Rajiv of the RSVP won.
When Rajiv went to Bhaktapur-2 with the RSVP ticket, UML leaders and workers initially accused him of being a 'tourist candidate'. Rajiv replied after his victory - I am not a tourist candidate. I have come to work for the people of Bhaktapur. He said that he did not come to defeat anyone in Bhaktapur, but to win and win.
Rajiv understands that Nepal's political parties have only shown dreams to the people in the past but have not worked. He said that the people are disappointed because the system has not achieved development and prosperity as desired.
Khatri has worked as a media person as a program producer and presenter. Before joining politics, he had been producing and presenting programs on News 24 TV. Before that, he had worked on Avenues TV and also worked for Rozgar Manch National Monthly for a few years.
The RSVP, while introducing its candidate, has written that Khatri is a strong supporter of the Scout Service and is against corruption. The RSVP's candidate introduction states that Khatri has passed grade 12.
