Major leaders from ruling alliance, opposition trying to win elections in Gandaki Province

By Surya Pandey/ Ramesh Poudel

Kaski, Nov. 8: All candidates, including the major political parties, have been aggressively canvassing in all 11 districts of Gandaki Province to win the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and the Provincial Assembly. 

The candidates have been busy in publicising their election manifestos dominated by development promises. 

Fourteen candidates are contesting the election to the HoR from Kaski Constituency 1. Kishwore Dutta Baral from the ruling alliance and Man Bahadur Gurung from the main opposition party CPN-UML are in fierce competition. Both the candidates are the sitting district chiefs of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML.

Similarly, eight candidates are vying for the seat of the Provincial Assembly ‘A’ seat and seven for ‘B’ seat. 

Likewise, 17 candidates are contesting the election to HoR from Kaski 2.  They are Shree Nath Baral from the ruling alliance and Bidya Bhattarai from the CPN-UML. Likewise, eight candidates are contesting election to Provincial Assembly in 2 ‘A’ and six from 2 ‘B’. 

Likewise, 15 candidates are contesting election to the House of Representatives from Constituency 3, incluidng Ramji Prasad Baral (Jeevan) from the ruling coalition  and Damodar Bairagi from the CPN-UML. Seven candidates each are in fray for Provincial Assembly from Kaski 3 A and B. 

In Baglung, 31 candidates are vying for two seats of HoR. 

Chitra Bahadur KC, chairman of Rastriya Janamorcha representing the ruling alliance, and Surya Prasad Pathak from CPN-UML from Baglung Constituency 1 and Devendra Poudel representing from the ruling alliance of CPN-Maoist Centre, and Manju Sharma Chalise from CPN-UML are contesting election to the HoR. In Baglung 1 A, five candidates and in B, four are in race for Provincial Assembly seats while in Baglung 2 A, two candidates and in B, seven candidates are in race.  

68 in race in Nawalaparasi (East)

Meanwhile, in Nawalaparasi (East), a total of 68 candidates representing different political parties and independent candidates are vying for two HoR seats and four Provincial Assembly seats. Dr. Shashanka Koirala of the Nepali Congress representing the ruling alliance and Krishna Poudel from CPN-UML are competing for the HoR seat in Constituency 1.

Similarly, in Constituency 2, Bishnu Kumar Karki from the ruling alliance and Tilak Bahadur Mahat from CPN-UML are trying to win an HoR seat. 

Nineteen candidacies are in the election fray for three seats - one for the HoR and two for the Provincial Assembly in Myagdi district. 

According to Electoral Office, Myagdi, Khamma Bahadur Garbuja of the ruling alliance and Hari Krishna Shrestha of CPN-UML have been contesting for the HoR seat. 

57 in field in Tanahun 

Also, 57 candidates are vying for the election to the HoR and Provincial Assembly members from Tanahun. This district has two constituencies. For an HoR seat, 15 candidates have been contesting from Constituency 1, and 11 candidates for the Provincial Assembly ‘A’ and seven for the Provincial Assembly ‘B.’

Senior leader of Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel of the ruling alliance, Bahadur Rana from CPN-UML, Pasang Thapa Magar of Janata Samajwadi Party, Binod Kumar Gharti of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ram Krishna Twayana of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Krishna Prasad Poudel of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal led by Kamal Thapa, Prem Bahadur Thapa of Mongol National Organisation, among others, have been contesting the election to HoR from Constituency 1. 

Former leader of the NC Govinda Raj Joshi, Ram Chandra Karki, Bel Bahadur Darai and Prithivi Narayan Shrestha are independent candidates in Tanahun Constituency 1.

Also, 10 candidates have been in the election fray from Tanahun Constituency 2 with eight for Provincial Assembly A and six for the B.  

Shanker Bhandari of Nepali Congress from the ruling alliance, Kiran Gurung of CPN-UML, Narendra Pratap Mahat of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Ram Hari Gora of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, among others, are in race for an HoR seat. 

Tek Bahadur Gurung representing the ruling alliance, Palten Chhepang Gurung of CPN-UML and Mukhya Gurung of National Independent Party are HoR candidates for a seat in Manang. 

Munindra Raj Gurung of Nepali Congress and Rajan Gurung of CPN-UML for Provincial Assembly A are vying for election, while Rajiv Gurung (Deepak Manange) was elected unopposed. 

15 candidates for HoR in Parbat

In Parbat, 15 candidates are contesting election to the HoR. Nepali Congres’s Arjun Prasad Joshi and CPN-UML's Padam Giri are candidates for the HoR member. There is a competition between nine candidates in Province ‘A’ and seven candidates in Province ‘B’ for the Provincial Assembly.

In Lamjung, which has only one constituency, 22 candidates are vying for HoR and Provincial Assembly seats. According to Chief Electoral Officer Shiv Prasad Khanal, on behalf of the coalition for the House of Representatives, Dev Prasad Gurung of the CPN Maoist Centre, Prithvi Subba Gurung of CPN UML, Narendra Bahadur Gurung of Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Tak Bahadur Gurung of Rashtriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, Balchandra Shrestha of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Laxmikant Paudel of Nepali Congress (BP), Nandjung Gurung of Radical Change Messiah Party Nepal, Rajendra Prasad Prajapati of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Bikas Gurung of Mongol National Organisation, Dharmaraj KC of Rastriya Swatantra Party and independent candidate Chandan Basyal are in the election contest. 

In the district, five candidates in Provincial Assembly (A) and six candidates in province (B) are in fray. 

In Syangja, 51 candidates are contesting for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly. 

Raju Thapa of the ruling Nepali Congress, Narayan Prasad Marasini of CPN UML, Iswari Prasad Paudel of Nepal Communist Party (Unified Socialist), Om Bahadur Thapa of Rastriya Janamukti Party, Khyam Bahadur Gurung of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Til Kumari Nepali of Jana Samajwadi Party Nepal, and Nirmal Ale of Mongolian National Organisation are contesting for the HoR seat from Constituency 1. 

Yogesh Gauchan Thakali of Nepali Congress is the candidate for the House of Representatives in Mustang, which has only one constituency, while Prem Prasad Tulachan of the CPN-UML is the candidate for the same constituency. 

There are nine candidates for the Province Assembly (A) and (B).

In Gorkha district, 49 candidates are in the election fray for the House of Representatives and the Provincial Assembly. Rajendra Bajgai of Nepali Congress from the ruling alliance, Ram Sharan Basnet of CPN-UML, Uttar Bahadur Khadka from Janata Samajwadi Party, Uday Prasad Bhatta from RPR, Dev Bahadur Thapa from Mongolian National Organisation and Meen Kumar Shrestha from Nepal Sushasan Party are competing in Gorkha constituency1 for an HoR seat. 

Similarly, Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Chairman of CPN-Maoist Centre representing the ruling alliance, Abdus Salam Miya from CPN UML, Kabindra Burlakoti from National Independent Party, Sushil Pant from RPP, Kul Bahadur Basnet from RPP Nepal, Tika Dutt Pokharel from Nepali Congress (BP) are competing in Gorkha 2. Similarly, Prahlad Lamichhane from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Prakash Thapa from Hamro Nepal Party and Som Bahadur Gurung from the Mongol National Organisation are also candidates for the HoR seat.