Three Saptari candidates seek to carry forward their fathers’ political legacy

By Sudha Deo, Bhardaha (Saptari), Feb. 9: Three candidates across Saptari constituencies are contesting elections to uphold their fathers’ political legacy, according to local voters.

Sumit Kumar Sah is contesting election from Saptari–1 as a candidate of Swabhiman Party, Amarkant Chaudhary from Saptari–3, as a candidate of Rastriya Swatantra Party and Dr. Bobby Singh Yadav from Saptari–4 as a candidate of Janata Samajwadi Party, following their fathers’ footsteps.

Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, the father of Sumit Sah, has been contesting elections from Saptari since 2008.  

He had previously served as Minister for Forests and Environment and also as Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens. 

Dinesh Mandal, a local, said that after Nawal Kishor Sah decided not to contest this election, his son Sumit stepped forward to uphold the family’s political legacy. After his father took a break from electoral politics, Sumit filed his candidacy from Saptari–1. In previous elections, he had been actively involved as his father’s aide.

Sumit was defeated by just 365 votes by then CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Ashok Mandal ‘Amar’ in the second Constituent Assembly election of 2013 from the then Saptari–2 constituency.

In the 2017 election, he was elected from Province 1 ‘A’ and served as Minister for Social Development of Madhes provincial government for five years. 

In the 2022 election, he was elected again under the JSP in alliance with the CPN-UML and later served as Minister for Forests and Environment as well as for Women, Children and Senior Citizens.

Besides Sumit, Dr. Bobby Singh Yadav, daughter of former minister Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav and Amarkanta Chaudhary, son of former state minister Chandrakant Chaudhary, are also contesting to continue their fathers’ political heritage.

Former state minister Chandrakant Chaudhary passed away about a month ago, while Sudi and Yadav remain active in politics. 

Chandrakant began his political career with the NC and remained active until his final days. 

He was elected from Saptari–3 in the 2017 election representing the then Rastriya Janata Party (RJP) and served as a state minister during UML chairman KP Sharma Oli’s 19-day government. In recent years, he was a senior leader of the Rastriya Mukti Party.

His son Amarkant is now contesting from Saptari–3 under the Rastriya Swatantra Party banner.

A medical graduate, Amarkant said he decided to contest the election to help build a new Nepal. 

“My father was involved in politics for a long time and it is his inspiration that led me to contest,” he said. 

He added that his family has been politically active for three generations and that he entered politics in line with public aspirations. 

He had previously contested the mayoral election in the 2022 local polls but was defeated.

Similarly, Dr. Yadav has entered the race to uphold the political legacy of her father, Mrigendra Singh Yadav, who has been active in politics since the era of the monarchy. 

She said real change lay with the youth and that people today are seeking clean, honest, accountable and transparent leadership. “I have filed my candidacy to represent the people’s expectations,” she said.

Dr. Yadav is contesting from Saptari–4 under the JSP. Her father Mrigendra Singh Yadav was elected from Saptari–4 in the first Constituent Assembly election of 2008 representing the then Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum. 

In 2019, he was elected to the National Assembly after defeating his own brother, Aniruddha Prasad Singh. He has also served as Minister for Agriculture. However, he was defeated in the 2017 House of Representatives election when contesting from the RJP.

Social activist and engineer Surya Narayan Yadav said that generational transition is increasingly visible in politics as well. “This transition should be utilised properly and responsibly,” he said.