27 candidates in Morang cannot vote for themselves

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Feb. 14: A total of 27 candidates contesting the House of Representatives (HoR) elections from Morang district will be unable to cast their vote for themselves in the upcoming March 5 polls. 

Under Nepal’s electoral system, a voter registered in any municipality across the country is eligible to contest from any constituency of their choice. 

As a result, not only independent and smaller parties but also major established parties have fielded candidates from outside the constituencies where they are registered voters.

Former minister and Nepali Congress leader Dr. Minendra Prasad Rijal is contesting from Morang Constituency-2. However, he is registered to vote in Morang Constituency-4. Therefore, he will not be able to vote for himself.

Similarly, CPN-UML candidate Dilip Kumar Agrawal, who is contesting from Morang-2, is a resident of Rangeli–7. That ward falls under Morang Constituency-5, meaning he too cannot vote for himself. 

Agrawal resigned from his post as Mayor of Rangeli Municipality to contest the parliamentary election. Likewise, Aman Lal Modi, a candidate from the Nepali Communist Party contesting from Morang Constituency-4, will also be unable to vote for himself. 

Former Minister Modi is registered as a voter in Budhiganga–6, which falls under Morang Constituency-6.

Speaking on the matter, Modi said that candidates contest wherever their party assigns them. Having been elected twice previously, he argued that voter sovereignty is paramount and that where a candidate casts their vote is a secondary issue.

CPN-UML candidate, Agrawal, echoed similar sentiments. “The party nominated me in Morang-2. It is my responsibility to fulfil whatever duty is assigned,” he said.

He added that more than half of Rangeli Municipality’s voters fall within Morang-2 and informed that the UML had won in nearly all local levels in the 2022 local elections there. 

Agrawal maintained that his single vote would not affect the outcome, emphasising that elections are fought on policy and development agendas rather than on where a candidate votes.

Among the candidates of the Mongol National Organisation, only Bikendra Rai, contesting from Morang-3, will be able to vote for himself. 

The party has fielded candidates in all six constituencies of the district. According to Rai, who is also a central committee member, most of the party’s candidates hold central responsibilities and are contesting outside their home constituencies.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), competing in its second federal parliamentary election, has nominated Yagyaman Neupane of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-8 as its candidate in Morang-1. 

Despite a competitive race, Neupane will not be able to vote for himself. He said he was initially expected to contest from Jhapa-5, but after the party assigned that constituency to Balen Shah, he shifted to Morang-1, which borders Jhapa.

Neupane, formerly deputy head of the party’s disciplinary commission, resigned from that post to contest the election. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has fielded Sabin Niraula in Morang-6. Niraula is a resident of Pathari Shanishchare–4, which falls under Morang-3. 

Meanwhile, Bhuwan Kumar Wagle of the Urjashil Party is contesting in Morang-3 but is registered to vote in Dhankuta–4. 

Manohar Rajbanshi of Kanepokhari–4 in Morang-3 is contesting from Morang-2 under the same party banner.

Independent candidates have also crossed constituency lines. Although registered voters in Morang-5, Anil Kumar Sah and Naresh Kumar Sah have filed their candidacies as independents from Morang-2. 

Similarly, Tej Prasad Bhandari, a resident of Ratuwamai–9 in Morang-2, is contesting independently from Morang-3.

According to CPN (Maoist) candidate Kumar Prasad Khatiwada, contesting from Morang-6, his party has fielded only one candidate outside their home constituency in Morang-5. 

Urjashil Party candidate Bhuwan Kumar Wagle stated that he would cast his vote in Dhankuta Municipality-4 before returning to his constituency on Election Day.

In total, two candidates from Morang-1, six from Morang-2, five from Morang-3, six from Morang-4, and five from Morang-6 will be unable to vote for themselves.

Altogether, 110 candidates from political parties and independents are contesting the election across Morang district.