All photos: Bibek Bibash Regmi/Himal Press
ITAHARI: Political parties are campaigning in Gramthan Rural Municipality of Morang with great fanfare and rejoicing. However, this does not seem to have touched the voters even though the local body by-elections is only few days away.
People in the rural municipality are busy with farm work. They are busy using thrashers to harvest paddy and prepare for the next crop. There is no electoral enthusiasm among the voters here.
Harinarayan Chaudhary (58), who was busy with his farm work, told this scribe he could not feed his family without working. “I will cast my vote somehow,” he said.
A resident of Bani settlement in Gramthan-7, Chaudhary expressed anger at those he previously helped elect, but are not doing any work. “It’s a local body election. But none are of any use,” he said, asking this scribe, “Who do you think is strong here? Who will win?”
Chaudhary also said the state and the political parties have been using his settlement as a mere vote bank.
Kamal Chaudhary from Tharutol settlement in Gramthan-7 said local people cast their votes based on feasts and parties organized by candidates. “People just concentrate on feasts and parties. They don’t understand anything about politics and parties,” Kamal said. “They solicit votes making different promises, but all end up being the same.”
CPN-UML won the position of rural municipality chair in the 2017 election. In 2022, however, the Nepali Congress (NC) was victorious. None of these parties worked in the interest of the people, said Kamal.
“UML and NC did nothing despite getting opportunities. Now, independent candidates should get a chance. How can we know whether one is capable without giving them an opportunity,” he added. Kamal also said political leaders manipulate innocent Tharu people to get their votes.
Flags of different political parties can be seen in the small grocery shop that Kamal runs. “Everyone says they will put up a flag in my shop. I have said no to none,” he added.
Although NC, UML and CPN (Maoist Center) are at the forefront of campaigning, Kamal suggested giving a chance to other parties or individual candidates this time. “We have only supported these parties so far. Now we should look at others,” he added.
Kamal said people’s representatives elected earlier have failed to deliver tangible results. “Roads, hospitals and schools are our necessities. Besides this, people’s work should be completed without hassles,” he added.
He also said elected people are doing injustice to Tharu people who live in far-flung areas. “The settlements of hilly people are near the main road. Local Tharu people living in far-flung settlements,” Kama said. “No one looks at these settlements. They are just vote banks.”
Looking at the current situation, NC, UML and Maoist Center are currently at the forefront. Besides them, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), Rastriya Swatantra Party (RS) and other parties are also organizing door-to-door campaigns.
According to Chief Election Officer Uddhav Prasad Bhattarai, 16 candidates are competing for the position of chairperson. They include Balaram Sardar from NC, Tulsi Ram Bishwas from UML, Namo Narayan Majhi from Maoist Center, Dinesh Kumar Thandar from RPP, Nabin Kumar Bishwas from RSP and Dharmendra Kumar Chaudhary from Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP).
Likewise, Parshuram Bishwas from Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Bharat Rai from the Mongol National Organization, Ram Kumar Chaudhary from Nepal Samajwadi Party, Binod Kumar Majhi from Janamat Party, Buddhichan Bishwas from Nagarik Unmukti Party, Dil Bahadur Bishwakarma from CPN (Unified Socialist), Raju Musahar from RPP Nepal, Suresh Kumar Rajbanshi from JSP Nepal, and Bodh Narayan Majhi from Samabesi Samajbadi Party.
UML leader Namanarayan Majhi has filed his nomination as an independent candidate.
The position of chairperson became vacant with the passing of Jaya Prakash Gachchhadar of the Nepali Congress when he was in Biratnagar to cast his vote in the National Assembly election.
Seven wards of Gramthan Rural Municipality have 26,044 voters. The election office will set up twenty-nine polling stations at 12 polling centers in the rural municipality.
