Women leaders contesting polls against men ‘heavyweights’ in Dang

Dang, Nov 17 : Women politicians are contesting the House of Representatives (HoR) and provincial assembly elections against the male ‘heavyweight’ politicians in Dang district.    

In constituency no. 1 of the HoR, CPN (Unified Socialist)’s Metmani Chaudhary is in the fray with support from the ruling alliance against Shanta Chaudhary of CPN (UML). Metmani is the sitting Minister for Urban Development.    

In Dang constituency no. 2, CPN (Maoist Centre)’s standing committee Rekha Sharma, with support from the left-democratic alliance, is competing against the CPN (UML) general secretary Shankar Pokharel.   

 
Likewise, Dipak Giri of Nepali Congress and CPN (UML)’s Komal Oli are the two frontrunners in this elections. Giri has the support of the left-democratic alliance.    
Leader Menmani is contesting the HoR elections for the second time after his victory. In the previous elections, he was elected by defeating NC’s Sushila Chaudhary. In his last victory, Metmani was the candidate of left alliance.    

Served as the lawmaker for the first time under the proportional electoral system in the first Constituent Assembly elections in 2064 BS, Shanta was also elected the HoR member under the proportional electoral system in the last elections held in 2074 BS. UML leader Shanta was the whip of UML’s parliamentary party.    

In the second Constituent Assembly elections held in 2070 BS, Shanta was defeated from NC’s Sushila under the first-past-the-post electoral system from Dang constituency no. 2.    

In the past, Deukhuri area was in the constituency n. 2 but entire Deukhuri and some wards of Ghorai Sub-Metropolitan City and Bangalachuli Rural Municipality are made constituency no. 1 after the federalism in place.    

In the recent local levels, the left-democratic alliance has two-fold votes against the CPN (UML) in this constituency, signaling that Metmani is in a comfort zone to win the poll.    

He claims that he will garner all the voters of the left-democratic alliance. “This alliance is not merely to win an election but was formed in a special context to safeguard the country. So, the vote of the alliance will not go to other candidates. We will win,” Metmani claimed. (RSS)