Electioneering at its peak in Kapilvastu-1

BY NARAD KOHAR

Taulihawa, Nov. 12: The electoral atmosphere has heated up in Constituency No. 1 of Kapilvastu, as the candidates are busy visiting voters at their doorsteps with their new agendas. 

CPN (Maoist Centre) central secretary Chakrapani Khanal (Baldev), who is a common candidate from the ruling alliance, is contesting with CPN-UML’s Balaram Adhikari in this constituency.

These two candidates, who are contesting against each other this time, had contested as allies in the 2017 election. Khanal, running from CPN-UML, had garnered 29,799 votes, while Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Deep Kumar Upadhyaya 28,853 votes. Khanal and Upadhyaya, who were rivals in the past election, are now allies due to the ruling alliance. 

The ruling alliance is in lead if we see the votes collected in the May 13’s local level election by the 30 ward chairs in Kapilvastu-1. In that election, the NC had garnered 28,271 votes while the CPN-UML 26,823 votes. Likewise, Janata Samajwadi Party had secured 13,510 votes, CPN (Maoist Centre) 9,338 votes and CPN (Unified Socialist) 3,722 votes.

On the basis of the votes secured by the NC, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Rastriya Janamorcha Party in the past which are now in the ruling alliance, the candidates of the ruling alliance are seen as strong in this constituency. 

There are a total of 141,013 voters in in 30 wards of Kapilvastu-1. It includes all wards of Banganga, Mayadevi and Sudhodhan Municipality and wards 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of Kapilvastu Municipality. 

NC candidates Dolak Ram Ghimire is contesting for Provincial Assembly in Kapilvastu Constituency 1 (A) and Sahash Ram Yadav in Constituency 1 (B). Gimire had secured victory in the past election.

Likewise, CPN-UML candidate Bishnu Panthi is contesting for Provincial Assembly in Kapilvastu Contituency 1 (B) and Madhu Sudan Sharan Chaudhary in 1 (B). Panthi had won in the past election.