KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 9 The House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5 is set to be a historic one for Dadeldhura, as voters head to the polls without former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on the ballot for the first time in more than three decades. Since the 1991 elections, Deuba and Dadeldhura have been inseparable. Deuba, who is also a two-time president of Nepali Congress, not only contested every parliamentary election from the district but also emerged victorious each time, firmly establishing Dadeldhura as a stronghold of the Nepali Congress. This time, however, Deuba is not a candidate, marking a major political shift in the district. Following the Nepali Congress' special general convention, the party's new leadership decided not to field Deuba. Instead, the Congress has nominated former Nepal Students' Union president Nain Singh Mahar as its candidate. Whether Mahar can protect the party's long-held legacy in the absence of Deuba has become a key point of interest among voters and political observers. Despite Deuba's repeated electoral success and rise to both state and party leadership, dissatisfaction among sections of the electorate is evident. Man Bahadur Malla of Ajaymeru Rural Municipality-2 said overall development in the district has been unsatisfactory despite Deuba's long tenure. Public opinion across Amargadhi, Parashuram Municipality, Aalital, Ajaymeru, Navadurga, Bhageshwor and Ganyapadhura Rural Municipalities appears divided. With Deuba's exit from what has long been considered a Congress bastion, many voters say they are considering alternatives. Generational differences are also visible. Older Congress supporters say they are under pressure from their children to change their voting choices. Tirtharaj Bohara of Parashuram Municipality said he was inclined to stick with his traditional vote, but added that his son living in Kathmandu has been urging him to 'try someone new this time.' At the same time, a significant section of voters does not appear strongly attracted to the new Congress candidate. Mahar faces a crowded and competitive field, with 13 candidates, including three independents, contesting the seat. His main challengers include UML's Chakra Snehi, CPN (Maoist Centre)'s Man Singh Mal and Rastriya Swatantra Party's Tara Prasad Joshi. UML candidate Snehi, a former National Assembly member, is considered to have strong support among Dalit voters, while Mal is a central committee member of the Maoist Centre. However, political observers say Mahar's toughest challenge could come from RSP candidate Joshi. Joshi, a former member of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly, was elected independently from Dadeldhura's Provincial Assembly Constituency '2'. He later resigned and filed his candidacy for the House of Representatives on behalf of the RSP. A former UML Dadeldhura president, Joshi is seen as having significant personal influence and had secured third place in the 2013 Constituent Assembly election. Despite the visible dissatisfaction and competition, Dadeldhura remains a traditional Congress base. Many older voters say their loyalty to the party remains intact. Seventy-three-year-old Asaram Pandey of Jogbudha said he would not change his vote, stating that he has trusted the same party for decades. The Congress won local level elections in five out of seven municipalities in Dadeldhura in 2022. However, the leadership change following the special general convention has widened emotional divisions within the party. How local Congress workers respond to Deuba's absence and the new leadership will play a crucial role in determining whether the party's vote remains unified or fragmented. There are 93,403 registered voters in Dadeldhura. In the 2022 House of Representatives elections, Deuba won the seat with 25,534 votes, while his closest rival, Sagar Dhakal, received 13,042 votes. In the proportional representation category of the same election, the Nepali Congress secured 18,562 votes, followed by the UML with 9,214 votes. The Maoist Centre received 8,711 votes, Nepali Congress (BP) 4,514 votes, Rastriya Swatantra Party 3,650 votes, Rastriya Prajatantra Party 1,513 votes and CPN (Unified Socialist) 661 votes. As Dadeldhura prepares for an election without its most familiar political figure, the outcome is expected to signal whether the district is ready for change or remains anchored to its long-standing political identity.