Amid scores of independent candidates, election of Kathmandu-7 turns unpredictable

Kathmandu, Nov. 11: Based on the results of local level polls held this year in May in Kathmandu Constituency No. 7, the ruling coalition seems to be strong.  But it is not so easy for Ashmita Singh (Manushi) Yami Bhattarai, who is contesting the election for the House of Representatives (HoR) from CPN (Maoist Centre) with sickle and hammer inside the circle as election symbol, representing the alliance, to win the election.

Ganesh Parajuli of Rastriya Swatantra Party Nepal (Bell election symbol), Dhurva Bikram Malla from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Rambir Manandhar, who was also former state minister from CPN-UML and two time-lawmaker from this region (Ghantaghar election symbol) as an independent candidate, and the main opposition CPN-UML candidate Shyam Ghimire, are sure to give a tough competition for the HoR seat this time. Ghimire is a seasoned communist leader and permanent resident of Tarkeshwor Municipality-3, Jitpur.

Rambir had won Kathmandu-7 in 2013 Constituency Assembly election from CPN-UML and 2017’s federal election from this constituency.

According to the results of the last local level elections held in May, the Congress won Nagarjun Municipality-1 and Tarakeshwar-5. KMC’s wards 16, 17 and 25 also fall under this constituency. 

CPN-UML won Ward No.18 under KMC, wards 2 and 3 of Nagarjun Municipality under the same constituency and Ward No. 4 of Tarakeshwar Municipality. In that election, NC-led ward chairmen got 14,167 votes, UML-led ward chairmen got 12,200 votes, CPN (Maoist Centre) garnered 576 votes and CPN (Unified Socialist) got 3,038 votes. Based on those votes, the ruling coalition seems to be the stronger than UML in this constituency. Other candidates like Ram Nepali from Nepali Party for Nepal, Shailesha Raj Shrestha from the Jana Samajwadi Party Nepal and others are also in fray. 

Election agendas of candidates 

Rambir Manandhar, 59, a local of Balaju area, was elected from CPN-UML in the 2017 election. With 18,102 votes, he defeated Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s (RPP) candidate Bikram Bahadur Thapa by a margin of 8,23 votes.

This time, ruling alliance candidate Manushi, 38,  has moved forward with the determination to create an investment-friendly environment for rapid economic development. Her main election agenda is to increase gross domestic savings and encourage investment.

Manushi said that she would carve her own identity working closely with the people and that she didn’t like to be known through their parents – former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Hisila Yami, who was also the candidate from this region in 2017 election. Addressing the locals, Manushi said, “I want to be known for my work, even though I was known by whatever name before, and we need your help to work.

This time, former MP Manandhar is in the election fray as an independent candidate. Elected in the 2017 election, Manandhar said that he is running again to complete the remaining development works. It is likely that the main competition will be among the alliance common candidate Manushi, Shyam Ghimire of CPN-UML and Dhruva Bikram Malla of the RPP for HoR seat.

UML candidate Ghimire has been in race with the agenda of promoting the tourism development plan while protecting art and culture of this region. 

Rajendra Shrestha, former minister from Janata Samajwadi Party led by Upendra Yadav, is also a candidate from this constituency for an  HoR seat. He expressed his view that he would be able to get votes of his party cadres as well as from his former CPN-UML party cadres who loved him from his region.

Kathmandu Constituency-7 covers altogether 10 wards. Of them, wards 16, 17, 18 and 25 of Kathmandu Metropolis, and three wards each of Nagarjun Municipality (1, 2, 3) and Tarkeshwor Municipality (4, 5, 6). 

Ward No. 16 of Kathmandu Metropolis is Sohrakhute area. Ward No. 17 lies in Kshetrapati, 18 Naradevi and 25 Janawahal areas, and local Newar community dominate these areas. According to local Punhya Bajracharya of KMC-16, about 60 per cent of the citizens are native-born.  

Nagarjun and Tarakeshwar are inhabited by those who came from Nuwakot, Dhading, Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Gorkha and Makwanpur, among other districts. There are many former administrators and returnees from foreign employment as well.

Interestingly, the number of independent candidates is higher than that of the candidates of political parties for HoR member in Kathmandu Constituency-7. There are 16 independent candidates while the number of candidates from political parties is 13.

 A total of 360 candidates have filed their candidacies for 15 HoR seats in three districts in the Kathmandu Valley, and of them, 128 are independent candidates, which is 35.55 per cent of the total. Similarly, 340 candidates have filed their candidacies for 30 seats for provincial assembly in these three districts. Of them, 119 are independent candidates, which is 35 per cent. 

Along with Rambir Manandhar, Hem Bahadur Dhungel, Rojina Awale, Kiran KC, Sujan Raj Bajracharya, Rabindra Kumar Shrestha, Lok Prasad Sinkha, Prasanna Kumar Aryal, Yadavlal Kayastha, Rajkumar Koirala, Bharat Tamang, Manjumaya Tamang, Januka Paudel, Hem Dhungel, Laxman Gajurel and Ishwar Aryal are among those who as contesting as independents.

What voters say?

Rajkumar Subedi, 34, of Nagarjun Municipality 1, said that the big parties are under pressure as independent candidates intensify their campaigning and emerging in the area. 

“Looking at the votes received by the ward chairperson candidates in the local elections, it is impossible for Manushi to win with the votes of the Maoist centre alone. Moreover, after the Maoist centre gave its symbol to the Nepal Samajwadi Party-led Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, Manushi became the candidate of the ruling coalition in this region,” said Prachanda Shah, a local voter of Nagarjun-1. 

“CPN-UML’s Ghimire does not seem to be well known in the ranks of the UML. “He is an old party leader, it may be a little difficult for new generation voters to recognise him but it doesn’t make a difference to get votes from the locals who love UML,” said one of the UML cadres of Tarakeshwor-3.

The total number of voters in Kathmandu-7 is 61,291. Among them, there are 31,664 females and 29,627 males. There are 29 polling centres and 71 polling stations in Kathmandu-7. 

Province Assembly candidates 

For Bagmati Province Assembly from this constituency, NC leader Sabin Tamang for Province Assembly (B), Basanta Manandhar for Province Assembly (A) representing the ruling alliance of CPN-Unified Socialist party, Lal Kumar Lama from RPP are in the election fray and were seen as the major contenders for the Bagmati Province Assembly members.