Korala border road dominates Mustang polls

By Harikrishna Sharma,Mustang, Feb. 27: With the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5 drawing near, electioneering has intensified in Mustang district, where candidates have stepped up their door-to-door campaigns in a bid to win over voters.

With just nine days left before polling, candidates have launched the first phase of household visits, significantly increasing electoral activity across the district.

Following the nomination registration on January 20, settlements of the district had remained largely quiet for nearly a month. However, candidates are now travelling from village to village and neighbourhood to neighbourhood, engaging voters through direct interactions, meetings and discussions.

Voters who had temporarily left the district to escape the winter cold have also begun returning home.

Nepali Congress candidate Yogesh Gauchan Thakali, who recently returned from India after a prolonged stay for his sister’s medical treatment, has also joined the campaign trail.

Thakali, former HoR member, is highlighting his past development initiatives and pledging to complete unfinished projects.

“I sought a mandate for five years and reached Parliament. Voters are well aware of the efforts I made,” Gauchan said.

He has prioritised infrastructure development at the Korala border point, facilitating cross-border movement, road connectivity, agriculture, tourism and addressing the challenges posed by climate change to local communities.

Similarly, CPN-UML candidate Indradhara Dadu Bista has pledged to accelerate the remaining blacktopping works on the 110-kilometre Jomsom–Korala section of the North–South National Pride Highway, which has faced delays.

He has also committed to initiating the process of listing Lomanthang Palace as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, easing travel to Tibet through the Korala border for religious and tourism purposes, promoting the Lhothang golf course in Lomanthang Rural Municipality–5 for a world record, waiving fees imposed on foreign tourists and lifting restrictions in Upper Mustang to facilitate greater tourist arrivals.

“Even without being an elected representative, I have worked for the district. My candidacy aims to unite the whole of Mustang,” Bista said.

He added that he envisions Mustang as a global destination for agriculture, tourism, livestock farming and adventure tourism. “With plans to uplift marginalised communities and invest in potential sectors, economic self-reliance and prosperity are my top priorities,” he said.

Aaditya Chandra Thakali of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) claimed that the election, held on the foundation of the youth movement, would displace traditional political forces.

“The nationwide wave has reached Mustang as well. We hope to send a positive message from Mustang this time,” he said, expressing confidence that the party’s publicly released manifesto would address many of the district’s concerns.

Other candidates in the fray include Ajay BK of the Aam Janta Party, Yam Bahadur Gurung of the Mongol National Organisation, Kamala Lalchan of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Dr. Surendra Sherchan of the Ujyalo Party Nepal.

They have prioritised development, good governance, job creation, education, healthcare and infrastructure in their campaigns.

Although the elected representative will primarily serve as a lawmaker, many voters remain focused on physical infrastructure and livelihood issues, prompting candidates to spend long hours each day reaching out to constituents.

Mustang district has a total of 11,328 voters. Of them, 3,553 voters reside in Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda and Lomanthang rural municipalities, while 7,775 voters are in Thasang, Gharpajhong and Varagung Muktichhetra rural municipalities in Lower Mustang.