ITAHARI: Nepali Congress (NC) leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula was seen greeting voters and seeking their votes at the polling center for the National Assembly election in Biratnagar on Thursday. Many of his contemporaries, except those in politics, are already leading retired lives. Sitaula, now 77, too could have chosen to live a retired life. However, his aspiration to enter parliament at least once after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015 has kept him in the political arena. His aspiration has now been fulfilled as Sitaula was elected to the National Assembly from the ‘Others’ cluster in the Koshi Province on Thursday.
Sitaula, the common candidate of the ruling coalition, defeated Uddhab Poudel of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), on Thursday. Poudel had the support of the main opposition CPN-UML. He is now seen as the next chairman of the National Assembly as the post is becoming vacant on March 4.
Initially, there were concerns that the anti-establishment faction of the Nepali Congress would betray him, as Sitaula had the backing of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. However, Koirala and General Secretaries Sharma and Gagan Thapa openly campaigned for Sitaula. Sitaula secured 5,292 votes compared to Poudel’s 4,562 votes. UML’s Parhsuram Adhikari received 148 votes even though he was not in the race after his party decided to support RPP’s Poudel in the election.
UML and RPP had formed an alliance in Koshi. According to the understanding between the two parties, UML supported RPP’s candidate Poudel, while RPP supported UML’s Rukmini Koirala in the ‘Women’ cluster. After Koirala defeated the ruling coalition’s common candidate Champa Devi Adhikari of CPN (Maoist Center), NC supporters had feared for the worst. However, Sitaula emerged victorious.
Sitaula has contested seven parliamentary elections since the political change of 1990. He was defeated in the election for the House of Representatives twice, in 2017 and 2022, by Rajendra Lingden of Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Lingden enjoyed the support of left parties on both occasions.
He suffered defeat in the 1991 election against Dronacharya Chhetri of UML but won in the midterm polls three years later by defeating Lila Udasi UML. Sitaulad defeated UML’s Pushpa Pokharel to enter the parliament for the second time in 1999. After the 1999 election, Sitaula played a crucial role in Nepali politics, particularly in the peace talks with the outlawed CPN (Maoist).
Sitaula suffered defeat in the first Constituent Assembly election in 2008 against Purna Singh Rajbanshi of CPN (Maoist). However, he won in the second Constituent Assembly election in 2013 by defeating Lingden of Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
“Sitaula is a capable leader. Many remember him as a leader who can solve problems with great ease,” said a Nepali Congress leader.
