Melamchi water tops voters' demands in Kathmandu-2

By Ashok Adhikari,Kathmandu, Feb. 23: Radheshyam Sharma Bhandari of Gothatar, Kageshwori Manohara-8 in Kathmandu, asks visiting candidates seeking votes, “When will drinking water from the Melamchi project arrive?” The candidates quickly reply, “We will take the initiative once we are elected.”

However, Bhandari is not convinced by the candidates’ commitments. “We have a water problem. In the 2022 election, the candidates promised to take the initiative to bring Melamchi’s drinking water, but they have not returned since the election. We will vote for the candidate who gets this work done,” he said. 

He has not yet decided whom to vote for. The buzz surrounding the House of Representatives (HoR) election has also reached local residents of Kathmandu Constituency No. 2. In the constituency, which has 88,708 voters, locals who are forced to endure flooding during the monsoon season have also drawn candidates’ attention to the issue of planned settlement and proper housing.

Kathmandu Constituency No. 2 comprises Ward No. 32 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Wards No. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality, and Wards No. 1 to 9 of Shankharapur Municipality. Locals have raised issues including drinking water, dusty roads, access to healthcare and concessions in education.

Competition among major parties

Twenty-eight candidates are in the fray in Kathmandu-2—16 from various parties, including the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, Nepali Communist Party (NCP), and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), along with 12 independent candidates.

In the 2022 HoR election, former Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar was a candidate from the five-party alliance, including the NC and CPN (Maoist Centre), but Sobita Gautam of the RSP was elected. This time, the Nepali Congress has fielded influential young leader and constituency president Kabir Sharma, 37, who is contesting for the first time.

CPN -UML leader Mani Ram Phuyal, 60, is contesting again. He previously stood as a provincial assembly member in 2017 and as a HoR candidate in 2022. 

The NCP has nominated youth politician Nitesh Paudel, 38, who is also contesting for the first time. Likewise, the RSP has fielded Sunil KC, 43, who represented the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly in 2022 and is active in social work. The RPP has again nominated its leader, Kunti Devi Pokharel (Upadhyay), 38.

Other candidates include Upendra Karki of CPN (United), Sharmila Mali of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Krishna Bahadur Khatri of Trimul Nepal, Tilak Bahadur Magar of the Aam Janata Party, Bal Chandra Shrestha of the Progressive Democratic Party, Anup Bohara of the Rastriya Pariwartan Party, Anand Sinkhada of the Jai Matrubhumi Party, Mukunda Karki of the Shram Sanskriti Party, Prakash Budhathoki of CPN (Maoist), Pawan Pokharel of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, and Narbada Kumari Bhattarai of the Rastriya Mukti Party. 

Independent candidates include Rupak Sinkhada, Arjun Dhungana, Tirtha Raj Paudel, Top Bahadur Thapa, Sita Tiwari, Rupak Bastakoti, Raj Kumar Shrestha, Trilok Bahadur Chand, Manju Lama, Ira Shrestha, Bishwas Basnet and Birendra Kumar Sah.

Local and national issues 

Busy with door-to-door campaigns and public meetings, candidates are trying to create a favourable atmosphere among voters. While listening to voters’ demands, complaints and expectations, they emphasise working for local development rather than engaging in political debate.

The NC constituency president and candidate Kabir Sharma said that he has been engaging in dialogue with voters, listening to their grievances and formulating plans based on the issues raised by citizens. 

“Voters’ complaints are largely the same - after winning elections, no one returns, and commitments made regarding development and construction are not fulfilled. I am striving to win public trust with a commitment to addressing these issues,” he said. 

Young leader Sharma has prioritised sustainable infrastructure development, improving the quality of life for locals, human resource development, developing Kageshwori Manohara and Shankharapur municipalities as centres of religious tourism, and managing the banks of the Manohara River.

UML candidate Mani Ram Phuyal has planned to complete the Sankhu–Jaharsingh Pauwa–Nanglebhare road as a strategic road project, and improve bends along the forest stretch between Lapsiphedi and Jaharsingh Pauwa to prevent human casualties. 

He also said he would coordinate the construction of a tunnel route, in line with technical advice, to ease traffic congestion at Koteshwor and Tinkune. He added that Sankhu and other areas would be developed into heritage tourism settlements, with other necessary works carried out based on local suggestions.

NCP candidate Nitesh Paudel said that his priorities include improving roads, transport and traffic management, ensuring clean drinking water in every household, enhancing the quality of public schools and expanding technical and vocational education, effective implementation of health insurance and strengthening hospital services, special health programmes for senior citizens, women and children, environmental conservation, river management and green development.

Likewise, RSP candidate Sunil KC said he would focus on good governance, religious and cultural development, job creation and agricultural development. He added that, alongside developing physical infrastructure such as roads, health and education, he would also prioritise law-making.

RPP candidate Kunti Devi Pokharel said she would focus on citizens’ needs, promoting religious tourism, encouraging local production, advancing the agricultural sector and managing markets.