KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 5 Gulmi Constituency No. 1, long regarded as a leftist stronghold, is set for a high-stakes electoral contest as prominent leaders from the Nepali Congress (NC), the CPN-UML and other parties have entered the fray for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5. Two well-known political rivals-CPN-UML leader Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Nepali Congress leader Dr Chandra Kant Bhandari (Chandra Bhandari)-have filed their candidacies, renewing a rivalry that has shaped electoral politics in the constituency for more than two decades. Adding a new dimension to the race are former Maoist leader Sudarshan Baral and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate Sagar Dhakal, making the contest both competitive and unpredictable. Gyawali, a senior UML leader and former deputy secretary general of the party, is contesting the House of Representatives election for the sixth time. He was elected from Gulmi in 1999, 2008 and 2017. A seasoned parliamentarian, Gyawali has held key ministerial portfolios, serving as minister for tourism in 2007 and as minister for foreign affairs in 2016. Dr Bhandari, known as an intellectual figure within the Nepali Congress, is contesting the election for the fourth time. He first entered Parliament in 2070 BS after defeating Gyawali, but lost to the UML leader in the 2017. Bhandari returned strongly in the 2022 polls, defeating Gyawali and reclaiming the seat for the Congress. Their repeated electoral battles have made Gulmi-1 one of the most closely watched constituencies in Lumbini Province. Former Maoist leader Sudarshan Baral has also emerged as a serious contender. Baral, who previously served as the Lumbini Province president of the CPN (Maoist Centre), is contesting the House of Representatives election from Gulmi-1 for the second time. He was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2064 BS after defeating UML leader Gokarna Bista. However, he lost in the second Constituent Assembly election in 2013 to Nepali Congress candidate Krishna Bahadur Chhantel Thapa. Local political observers say Baral enjoys a positive image in the district and is widely regarded as a clean and accessible leader, factors that could work in his favour in a multi-cornered contest. The RSP has fielded Sagar Dhakal, a relatively new but nationally recognised face. Dhakal had contested the 2079 BS general election as an independent candidate from Dadeldhura with the stated aim of defeating former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. Although he lost to Deuba-who had remained undefeated in the constituency since 1991-Dhakal gained national attention. This time, with Deuba not receiving a Congress ticket, Dhakal has shifted his political base to his home district Gulmi, stating that his earlier mission in Dadeldhura has been completed. In the previous election, the RSP had fielded Damodar Bhandari from Gulmi-1. Bhandari won the seat with 33,744 votes, narrowly defeating UML's Gyawali, who secured 32,152 votes. Another candidate received 1,882 votes, underscoring how closely contested the race was. An analysis of the proportional representation votes from the 2022 election shows UML leading in Gulmi-1 with 28,453 votes, followed by the Nepali Congress with 23,413 votes. The RSP secured 8,116 votes, while the Maoist Centre received 6,257 votes. The National Janamorcha garnered 1,224 votes, the RPP 876 votes and the Unified Socialist Party 256 votes. In that election, the Nepali Congress had the backing of the Maoist Centre and the Unified Socialist Party. Gulmi-1 includes wards 7 to 14 of Kaligandaki, Satyawati, Ruru, Chhatrakot, Gulmi Durbar and Chandrakot rural municipalities, along with Resunga Municipality. Historically, Gulmi has witnessed dramatic political shifts. In the 2048 BS election, when the district had three constituencies, the Nepali Congress won all of them. The UML swept all three seats in 2051 BS and maintained its dominance in 2056 BS. In that election, Phatik Bahadur Thapa won from Constituency No. 1, Gyawali from Constituency No. 2 and Gokarna Bista from Constituency No. 3. Political control continued to change hands in subsequent elections. The Maoists emerged strong in the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, while the Congress regained ground in 2013. In recent elections, Gulmi-1 has remained highly competitive, with narrow margins and shifting alliances. With veteran leaders, emerging political forces and a history of tight contests, Gulmi-1 is once again poised to become a focal point of national political attention in the upcoming HoR elections.