Four candidates defeated in Nov 20 polls trying their luck in Bara-2

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission is holding by-elections for three vacant seats of the House of Representatives on April 23.

The Chitwan-2 seat became vacant after the Supreme Court ruled that Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) lawmaker Rabi Lamichane was ineligible to hold public office. Similarly, the Tanahun-1 seat became vacant with the election of Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Ram Chandra Poudel to the post of President, and the Bara-2 seat became vacant when Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) lawmaker Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav was elected Vice President.

The upcoming by-election has become more interesting as influential leaders from various political parties are participating. Bara-2, in particular, has drawn attention as all the major candidates competing in this constituency were defeated in the November 20 elections.

Ramesh Kharel from RSP, Shiva Chandra Kushbaha from Janamat Party, Upendra Yadav from JSP, and Rajendra Mahato from Loktantrik Samajbadi Party all are competing in Bara-2. Interestingly, all of them were defeated in the November 20 elections.

In the previous elections, Kharel contested in Kathmandu-1 as a candidate of the Sushashan Party, but he only received 3,124 votes. Prakash Man Singh of Nepali Congress won the seat with 7,143 votes. Rabindra Mishra of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) came in a close second with 7,018 votes.

Similarly, Shiva Chandra Kushbaha from Janamat Party was defeated in Bara-2 by JSP’s Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav in the previous elections. Kushbaha had contested the election as a candidate of CPN (Maoist Center). However, he left the party a few days ago to join Janamat Party after Maoist Center decided to support JSP’s Yadav in the constituency.

In the previous elections, JSP Chairman Upendra Yadav was defeated by Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut in Saptari-2. However, Yadav secured the Vice President’s post for his close aide Ramsahaya, so that he can contest in Bara-2 and get elected to the House of Representatives.

Another candidate trying his luck in Bara-2 is LSP leader Mahato. In the previous elections, he was defeated by Nepal Samabadi Party’s Mahindra Raya Yadav in Sarlahi-2. Yadav contested the election using the election symbol of CPN (Maoist Center). Mahato lost by a margin of nearly 2,000 votes.