Pandey, Poudel neck-to-neck in Chitwan 1

By Modnath Dhakal/Basanta Parajuli

Ratnanagar, Nov. 7: Election of Constituency 1 in Chitwan district, about 150 km south-west of Kathmandu, was in discussions long before the candidates registered their names for the upcoming polls of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Provincial Assemblies because of potential candidates like former Finance Minister Surendra Prasad Pandey, incumbent Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Dr. Bishwo Nath Poudel, former VC of NPC and Chief Economic Advisor of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Dr. Swarnim Wagle. 

But while 19 candidates, with 10 independents, are in the fray slated for November 20, general voters are frustrated over the plight of development, corruption, political mismanagement and alliances of the political parties made for the upcoming polls.

Candidates for the HoR election in Constituency 1 of Chitwan

It is disheartening to see that there was an equal level of frustration in Kushal Lama, 23, of Tandi Chowk in Ratnanagar Municipality and Madhu Sudan Dhungana, 93, in Hernari of Khairahani Municipality. However, Lama expressed his ire at the mismanaged system and lack of good governance while Dhungana is unhappy because of the tie-ups between the political powers which he considers rather ‘unholy’. 

“I have voted in many elections since I voted for Nepali Congress in the elections in 1959 but I have not seen any candidates being honest with their promises made during the elections. I have a feeling that it will not bring good result even if you voted but you can’t remain without voting in the elections,” said Dhungana who was busy in preparation for a monthly ‘Bhajan’ programme at a temple in Hernari. 

Many others, including Karna Bahadur Kshetri of Bakulahar, Tandi, Shanti Tharu of Kathar, and Prem Prasad of Pithuwa, shared their bitter experience to get agricultural inputs like chemical fertilisers. Some of the voters are perplexed that the agenda of water supply has come at the top while it was not a demand from the voters’ side. “We are not getting chemical fertilisers in time and we have to produce the land registration paper to get it in a limited quota but the municipalities are raising a good amount of money from the water supply,” said Kshetri. 

Likewise, about 50 landless families in Magar Gaun are waiting for the candidates that promise to provide them the land registration papers. “We are in fear that the Chitwan National Park would someday chase us away from this place as it has already threatened to dismantle our houses by using elephants. We live in a fear,” said Shukramiya Tharu, an inhabitant of the settlement. 

She said that many candidates in the past had promised with them to provide the land registration papers but that couldn’t be fulfilled. 

Similarly, employed youth want a hike in the basic salary. Nabin Sapkota of Bachhyauli and Hemanta Sharma of Bairiya said that while employment has been an issue in the district, underpayment for the employed youth is a thing that should be seriously considered by the candidates. 

Confusion of alliance and ‘independents’ 

Kshetri of Bakulahar said that many people including the cadres of political parties are still hesitant to carry the flag of other party and chant slogans in their favour.  Another youth, Nishant Basnet, from Khairahani-4, who works at a mobile store at Tandi Chowk, said that the alliance could be regarded by the cadres of the respective political parties but ‘politically aware people’ would select good and honest candidates this time. 

“If youths like us blindly follow a political party and vote for the candidate whoever is nominated by that party, how could one expect the political system and the society be improved? We need to choose better leadership,” he said.

Like Basnet, many other voters are not enthusiastic about the alliances and tie-ups while the committed cadres are rather apprehensive.  Chitwan’s election constituency 1 has 42 wards. In the local elections held in May this year, CPN-UML won the chairmanship of 20 wards, Nepali Congress won 18, CPN (Maoist Centre) one, and CPN (Unified Socialist) one while independent candidates won in two wards. 

In terms of the cumulative votes garnered by the ward chairmen, the UML received 39,606, and the NC got 36,783 votes. Likewise, votes cast in favour of Maoist Centre numbered 5,508, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 4,590 and Unified Socialist 4,050 votes. Given this scenario, NC’s candidates from the ruling alliance, Dr. Poudel has a comfortable situation while the confusion and distrust in the alliance could become the strength for UML’s Pandey. Meanwhile, the NC has been successful in sending the candidacy of Rajendra Burlakoti, a dissatisfied leader of the party who was set to contest the election independently, to hibernation. It is a boost for Dr. Poudel. 

Meanwhile, the candidates of the newly registered Rastriya Swatantra Party are being confused as the ‘independent’ candidates by the local voters in Chitwan. Many youths in Ratnanagar and Khairahani municipalities compared the candidates of this party with the Mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolis, Balendra Shah and Mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolis, Harka  Sampang. It seems that the word ‘swatantra’ meaning independent in the name of the party would confuse the voters in other areas as well. 

This party’s candidate Hari Dhakal is also considered a popular candidate, especially among the youth. Popular folk singer Milan (Bishnu) Lama is also contesting the election from this area as an independent candidate. 

Less complaints about development

People in Chitwan-1 did not complain much about the development defecit. However, youths wanted sports infrastructure like covered halls and stadiums, and recreation centres while farmers stressed on smooth supply of chemical fertilisers. Many voters in Ratnanagar Municipality and around said that the construction of community buildings and roads as well as embankment in Kair River along with a dam were positive development works in the past. 

Shanti Tharu of Kathar in Khairahani said that the local bodies were better in addressing their general demands like water supply, installation of taps, and replacing thatched roofs with zinc sheets. 

However, entrepreneurs in Sauraha, a tourist centre in the district, want the candidates and the governments raising the agenda of IT-enabled services here. Suman Ghimire, Immediate Past President of Regional Hotel Association of Nepal, Sauraha, said that the Chitwan National Park still distributes tickets manually and tourists can’t buy it electronically. 

Likewise, Dipendra Khatiwada, Immediate Past Persident of Restaurant and Bar Association Nepal, said that the government should create an environment where an entrepreneurs need not to worry about the roads, water and security.