RSP secures major wins across multiple constituencies

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Kathmandu, Mar. 8: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) recorded significant victories in several constituencies in the House of Representatives elections held on Thursday, defeating powerful candidates from major political parties, including the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML.

The party won in key constituencies such as Kavrepalanchok-2, Gulmi-1, Arghakhanchi, Mahottari-1, Saptari-4, Rautahat-1, Kailali-5, and two constituencies in Banke district, indicating growing support for the relatively new political force.

In Kavrepalanchok-2, RSP candidate Badan Kumar Bhandari won by a wide margin, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Madhu Prasad Acharya by a big margin of 35,476 votes. Bhandari secured 53,344 votes while Acharya received 17,868 votes. CPN-UML candidate Ashok Kumar Byanju Shrestha obtained 13,940 votes, and Nepali Communist Party candidate Basundhara Humagai received 8,107 votes.

In Gulmi-1, RSP candidate Sagar Dhakal defeated CPN-UML central committee member and former minister Pradeep Gyawali by 15,120 votes. Dhakal received 30,448 votes while Gyawali secured 15,328 votes. Nepali Congress leader Chandrakant Bhandari obtained 13,731 votes.

Similarly, in Arghakhanchi, RSP candidate Hari Prasad Bhusal won the election with 35,023 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Pitambar Bhusal who received 22,649 votes. Nepali Congress candidate Bishnu Prasad Khanal secured 18,983 votes.

In Mahottari-1, RSP candidate Pramod Kumar Mahato was elected with 34,636 votes. He defeated Nepali Communist Party candidate Giriraj Mani Pokhrel by a margin of 22,012 votes. Pokhrel secured 12,624 votes while CPN-UML candidate Laxmi Mahato Koiri received 6,591 votes, and Nepali Congress candidate Mukesh Kafle got 6,213 votes.

In Saptari-4, RSP candidate Sitaram Sah won the seat with 36,412 votes. His nearest rival, Nepali Congress candidate Tejulal Chaudhary, secured 13,103 votes.

In Rautahat-1, RSP candidate Rajesh Kumar Chaudhary was elected after defeating CPN-UML candidate Ajay Kumar Gupta by 18,253 votes. Chaudhary received 28,946 votes while Gupta secured 10,693 votes.

In Kailali-5, RSP candidate Ananda Bahadur Chand won the election with 31,953 votes. Out of 110,539 registered voters in the constituency, 65,963 votes were cast.

In Banke district, RSP candidates Suresh Kumar Chaudhary and Khagendra Sunar were elected from constituencies 1 and 3, respectively, while CPN-UML candidate Mohammad Ishtiyaq Rai won from constituency 2. 

In Banke-1, Suresh Kumar Chaudhary defeated Nepali Congress candidate Narayan Prasad Gaudel by 17,491 votes, securing 32,792 votes compared to Gaudel’s 15,301 votes. CPN-UML candidate Surya Prasad Dhakal received 11,095 votes in the same constituency.

After the win, Rai said that he would work with the nation and the people as his top priority. He said that even during the strong wave of the RSP, the people’s decision to elect him represents a victory for the overall development and harmony of the constituency.

He stated that the people of Banke-2 showed him great support and affection even in such circumstances because of the many developments and construction works he had carried out in the past. He also said that he would never allow the people’s expectations and trust in him to weaken.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Mahabir Pun won the election in Myagdi with 22,850 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Hari Krishna Shrestha, who secured 7,919 votes. The margin of victory was 14,931 votes, while nine other candidates in the district failed to secure enough votes to retain their deposits.

In Achham-1, Nepali Congress candidate Bharat Kumar Swarn won by a narrow margin of 528 votes against Nepali Communist Party candidate Bhim Bahadur Rawal. Swarn secured 10,758 votes while Rawal received 10,230 votes.

Similarly, in Doti, Nepali Congress candidate Bharat Bahadur Khadka was elected with 14,897 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Dipak Bahadur Dhami, who secured 14,110 votes.