Election agenda of independent candidates: Corruption control, development and change

By Narayan Adhikari, Chitwan, Nov 13: Independent candidates, along with those of political parties, are busy electioneering ahead of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Province Assembly elections on November 20. They are making door-to-door visits to voters in their respective electoral constituencies in the Chitwan district in course of canvassing for the election.     

One hundred fourteen candidates are in the election fray, including three seats for the HOR and six for the Province Assembly elections. Forty-seven of the candidates are standing as independents. They are on the election campaign, reaching out to the voters with their election agendas.     

Rajan Neupane, who has filed his candidacy for the House of Representatives Member election from Chitwan constituency-1, is busy meeting the voters. He said he is canvassing in the election presenting his limited key agendas.     

"I am going to the voters presenting my priorities as promoting good governance, curbing corruption and advancing development," he said of his election agendas. He said that the party candidates would not be able to check the rising corruption in the country as they are hand-in-glove with the big contractors and businessmen, seeking funds from them to meet their election expenses. The victory of independent candidates is necessary to rid the country of the malaise of corruption.     

Neupane is in the election fray with the determination that the people's living standard can be enhanced by a stable government, creating employment within the country and making education, health and housing facilities accessible to all.     

There are 10 independent candidates including Neupane towards the HoR election in Chitwan constituency-1.     

Six people are running for the HoR member election in Chitwan, constituency no 2 as independent candidates. Devika Kunwar is one of them. She is canvassing on issues such as the promotion of agriculture, education, health, gender equality and social justice.     

"My major election commitments are securing self-sufficiency in agriculture, providing accessible and quality education, and affordable and accessible health services to the public. Similarly, I am advocating for social and gender equality, socio-economic uplift of the impoverished communities, development of the tourism sector and resolving the landless squatters' problems, among others," she reiterated.     

Angur Panta is another independent candidate from Constituency 2. He has been canvassing, making a commitment to reaching the State services and facilities to the people in a smooth and accessible manner by maintaining good governance. Panta asserted that his candidacy was to pursue national development linking people with education and skills.     

Hari Tamang, also an independent candidate, stressed that his candidacy is for putting to an end the 'wrong tendencies' that have grown in the parties and to transform the despondency in society into hope.     

Independent candidates outnumber the party candidates in Chitwan district, constituency-3. There are eight candidates from the parties and 12 independents in this constituency.     

The total number of voters in the whole district is 408 thousand 342, including 209 thousand 309 female and 199 thousand 32 male voters. The district has 161 polling stations and 460 polling centres.     

Similarly, there are 139 thousand 845 voters in Chitwan constituency-1, 124 thousand 214 in constituency 2 and 144 thousand 283 in constituency 3.(RSS)