Rupandehi-3 by-election heats up as parties & independents gear up

KATHMANDU: The political atmosphere in Rupandehi-3 is intensifying ahead of the upcoming by-election scheduled for Nov 3.

The seat fell vacant following the demise of House of Representatives member Deepak Bohara, prompting major and minor political parties, as well as independent candidates, to ramp up internal preparations.

Notably, smaller parties and independent candidates are treating this by-election as a benchmark for the upcoming general elections.

The by-election momentum appears to have impacted smaller parties more than the major ones—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Centre). While minor parties are rapidly announcing candidates, major parties are still in deliberation.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has fielded neurologist Dr. Lekhjung Thapa as its candidate, despite his involvement in controversies. Thapa had previously been listed under the proportional representation of the Nagarik Unmukta Party but joined RSP ahead of the by-election.

Similarly, the Janamat Party, which emerged after the 2079 elections, recently nominated Dhaniram Chaudhary as its candidate. Chaudhary explained that he switched parties to contest because the Nagarik Unmukta Party had not been registered with the Election Commission.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) has recommended seven names, including party General Secretary Ghanshyam Bhusal, who had been elected from this constituency under the CPN-UML banner in 2074 BS.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) had earlier proposed six candidates, including Gaurav and Prajwal Bohara, sons of the late Deepak Bohara. Currently, Gaurav Bohara is actively engaging with party workers and voters. To reduce internal conflict, RPP Chair Rajendra Lingden has successfully united all aspirants under a mutual support agreement.

Series of Party Switches

The by-election has also triggered a flurry of party changes in Rupandehi. Dhaniram Chaudhary, who had contested from Rupandehi-1 in 2079 under the Nagarik Unmukta Party, is now a candidate for Rupandehi-3 representing Janamat Party.

Internal power struggles within Nagarik Unmukta Party between Resham Chaudhary and Ranjita Shrestha have prevented the party’s registration for this by-election. Resham Chaudhary’s faction plans to field Dr. Umashankar Chaudhary as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Kalpana Pandey, former Minister for Forests and Environment of Lumbini Province and a leader of LSP Nepal, joined RSP on Sunday. Kailash Gurung, who contested Rupandehi-1 for Janmat Party in 2079, recently joined the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal. His wife, Geeta Gurung, resigned as a provincial assembly member to move abroad.

A group of former chairpersons, including Jitendra Nath Shukla (Bablu) of Sammarimai Rural Municipality and Keshavananda Baniya of Marchwari Rural Municipality, has recently joined CPN-UML. Both are known for frequently switching parties.

Major parties, however, have yet to finalize their candidates. Although UML and RPP had coordinated in the previous election, this time UML plans to contest independently, with Politburo member Khimalal Bhattarai emerging as a leading contender among four initial aspirants.

The Nepali Congress, which finished second in the last election, has been conducting grassroots outreach but has not yet confirmed a candidate. There is speculation that Bal Krishna Khan, Congress candidate in 2079, may run again.

Among the Socialist Alliance, coordination remains uncertain. Parties like CPN (Maoist Centre) and CPN (Unified Socialist) are preparing to contest independently.

Maoist Vice-Chair Agni Sapkota and Chair Prachanda have asserted that the party will run alone and secure strong results. Aspirants include Hakiullah Khan, Manish Kumar Joshi, and Sonia Yadav, among others.

Review of Previous Election

In the 2079 elections, Deepak Bohara (RPP) won Rupandehi-3 with 36,717 votes, narrowly defeating Bal Krishna Khan (Congress), who received 34,036 votes. Bohara had the support of UML, while Khan was backed by Maoist Centre and CPN-UML (Unified Socialist).

In proportional votes, Congress led with 20,289, followed by UML with 16,986, and RSP with 14,154. RPP received 9,183 votes, Nagarik Unmukta Party 6,000, Janata Samajwadi Party 5,000, and Janmat Party 3,700 votes, highlighting the primary competition among Congress, UML, and RSP.

Candidates in Action

Declared candidates are actively reaching out to voters. Dr. Lekhjang Thapa (RSP) is engaging local party leaders on election strategies.

Badre Alam (Jana Morcha) and Dhaniram Chaudhary (Janmat Party) are busy meeting voters and planning campaign strategies.

Independent aspirants, such as Ajay Gupta and Lekhnath Gaire, formerly associated with RPP, are running door-to-door campaigns in Butwal.

The Nov 3 by-election promises a gripping contest in Rupandehi-3.

Party switches, indecision among major parties, and the aggressive campaigns of smaller parties and independents make this by-election a highly anticipated political event.