Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: For the first time in more than three decades, voters in Dadelhura will head to parliamentary polls without Sher Bahadur Deuba, the former President of Nepali Congress (NC), as a candidate.
The constituency, long considered an NC fortress, has elected Deuba seven times since 1991. With Deuba no longer in the race, NC has a difficult task of defending its stronghold without the towering figure who defined its dominance.
NC has fielded youth leader Nain Singh Mahar, a former president of the party’s student wing Nepal Students Union (NSU), in Dadeldhura. Party leaders say Mahar represents generational transition while pledging continuity. Still, analysts say the absence of Deuba, whose personal vote base often outweighed party lines, has made the race significantly more competitive.
The challenge is compounded by recent political turbulence, including public backlash during the Gen-Z protests and Deuba’s exit from party leadership. These developments can influence voter sentiment in his home district, say analysts.
NC’s Dadeldhura District Committee Secretary Hemraj Chataut said Deuba is not in a position to come to Dadeldhura due to health reasons. “But he will come here to attend party programs later,” he added.
CPN-UML has fielded former National Assembly member Chakra Snehi in the constituency. UML’s Dadeldhura District Committee Chairperson Gajendra Shahi said the entire party unit is active in campaigning.
Meanwhile, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has fielded Dr. Tara Prasad Joshi. Joshi, who contested the election against Deuba in 2013, resigned from the Sudurpashchim Province Assembly to contest the election from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party but later joined the RSP. The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has named Man Singh Mal as its candidate in Dadeldhura.
Altogether, 13 candidates are competing in a constituency that has 93,403 registered voters — 2,202 more than in the 2022 general election.
In 2022, Deuba secured victory by defeating independent candidate Sagar Dhakal by more than 12,000 votes. Deuba secured 25,534 votes, while Dhakal got 13,042 votes.
With Deuba no longer in the race, analysts say the result hinges less on personality and more on party machinery and the shift seen in the political landscape after the Gen Z protests.
