BUTWAL: As the March 5 polls draw closer, speculation is growing over who will win the Rupandehi-2 seat. Although some media outlets have conducted opinion polls, the race remains too close to call.
The contest has drawn national attention because it is tied to the political prestige of CPN-UML Vice Chairperson and former Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Paudel. Paudel has won from this constituency four consecutive times since 2008.
This time, however, he faces strong challengers from both established and new parties.
The presence of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Rabi Lamichhane and the party’s senior leader and prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah in the area a few days ago has energized RSP supporters. In response, the Nepali Congress (NC) brought its President, Gagan Kumar Thapa, to address rallies in the constituency on Friday.
Traditional parties are facing new challenges across the country in the election being held after the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9.
The NC has fielded local businessperson Chunnu Prasad Paudel in the seat. Known for his friendly nature, he has intensified his campaign in recent days. He says he believes in action rather than speeches.
The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has nominated young leader Subhash Pandey for the seat. He is running aggressive campaigning in digital media.
Other candidates contesting in Rupandehi-2 include Dr Kamal Bhusal from Nepal Janasewa Party, Janamukti Party’s Keshav Suryavanshi and Narayan Nagila of Progressive Democratic Party. Still, analysts say the main competition will likely be among UML, NC, and RSP.
Paudel, who has built a reputation as a development-focused leader, considers this his toughest election yet.
In 2008, Pandey’s father, the late Maoist leader Bhakti Pandey, narrowly lost to Paudel in this constituency. Pandey is now carrying his father’s legacy forward and visiting the doorsteps of voters.
RSP candidate Sulabh Kharel has faced allegations of leading a protest that set fire to the Supreme Court during the Gen Z movement. Some intellectuals have criticized him over the issue. A lawyer by profession, Kharel is focusing on digital outreach and door-to-door campaigning but remains distant from mainstream media.
Paudel, meanwhile, is meeting party workers in a low-key manner. He avoids political debate and instead highlights development projects completed under his leadership. He often speaks about plans such as a signature bridge over the Tinau River and European-style urban development.
Some supporters even promote him as a future prime minister. Paudel himself admits he is under scrutiny. He had initially considered contesting from Palpa-2 but returned to Rupandehi after sensing internal dissatisfaction in the party.
In the 2022 election, Paudel faced a tough contest from RSP’s Ganesh Paudel. Ganesh secured 25,781 votes, only around 1,200 less than the veteran UML leader.
Rupandehi-2 includes wards 1–13 of Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City, wards 1–6 of Tilottama Municipality and wards 1–4 of Sainamaina Municipality. The constituency has 135,050 registered voters.
