KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 16 Myagdi district, which has only one constituency, has become an interesting watch this time. Myagdi, a mountainous district in Gandaki province, was an easy win for traditional parties such as the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. This time is likely to be different, as Mahabir Pun has entered the race as an independent candidate and has received support from the Rastriya Swatantra Party. There are 12 candidates in the Myagdi constituency. This time, Karna Bahadur Bhandari of the Nepali Congress, Harikrishna Shrestha of the CPN-UML, Arjun Bahadur Thapa of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), and independent candidate Mahabir Pun compete. With former minister Mahabir Pun joining the fray, the election atmosphere appears to be interesting this time. Myagdi, which has been won twice by the CPN-UML and once by the Nepali Congress since the second Constituent Assembly election, will not be an easy victory this time. Former Minister Mahabir Pun appears to be gaining traction since he began visiting remote villages and settlements and meeting voters. Myagdi politics has become volatile since his candidature. Although the old parties have organisations down to the villages. This time around, the parties that contested the elections as the Left Alliance in 2017 and the five-party alliance in 2022 are fighting alone. In addition, many voters appear to be in favour of 'vote change' this time, which is likely to favour Mahabir Pun and challenge his opponents, including the UML, Congress, and NCP. Pun is expected to receive votes from a wide range of areas in Myagdi, which has a strong indigenous population. After Pun, who has a stellar reputation at the national and international levels, became a candidate, voters from the young to the old generation have turned out to be in his support. Netizens appreciate Pun's campaign and innocence. He is often seen speaking to people in a straightforward manner, explaining why he left his ministerial position and entered the election. Running in the election under the triangle symbol, he displays his symbol and says, 'If you think I'm a good candidate, please vote for me. If you think someone is better than me, vote for them.' He frequently reiterates that he left his ministerial position because the interim government halted laws necessary for the improvement of the education system. Prime Minister Sushila Karki has also disclosed in the National Assembly that Pun resigned in anger after legislation was not approved. These developments seem to be making Mahabir Pun's job easier. Nonetheless, with more than two weeks until the election, a shift in voter sentiment cannot be ruled out. Other candidates are also likely to vote for the same party, implying that the Congress, UML, and independent candidates will compete fiercely in Myagdi this time around. However, it appears that winning will require a significant amount of effort. Bhandari of the Nepali Congress, Shrestha of the UML, and independent candidate Pun are in the fray this time in Myagdi, along with Yubaraj Roka from the Rastriya Swatantra Party, who has supported Mahabir; Arjun Bahadur Thapa from the Nepali Communist Party (NCP); Dambhar Bahadur Subedi from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party; Chhem Bahadur BK from the Rastriya Janamorcha; Devendra Kami from the Progressive Democratic Party; Bhim Bahadur Lama from the Mongol National Republic Nepal; Binod Rana from the Shram Sanskriti Party; and Kshetra Bahadur Ghimire from the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) Biplav-led party. Looking at election results over the last decade and a half, the CPN-UML appears to be a dominant force in Myagdi. The UML, which won the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013 and the House of Representatives elections in 2017, lost in 2022. At the time, it was up against a five-party alliance. When competing alone, however, it is the dominant party. Nepali Congress is in second place. According to the proportional voting results from 2017 and 2022, the UML is ahead. In the 2017 House of Representatives election, the CPN-UML received 18,266 votes, the Nepali Congress 17,348, the former CPN (Maoist) 4,303, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) 1,151. In 2022, the UML's vote appears to have remained constant, while the Nepali Congress' vote has decreased. The Nepali Congress received 13,693 votes to the UML's 18,273. In contrast, the Nepali Congress candidate Kham Bahadur Garbuja received 24,021 votes in the direct election. The CPN (Maoist) and the Nepal Samajwadi Party received 9,700 votes. The RSP received 3,579 votes despite not having an organisation. This time, coupled with the RSP wave and the Mahabir Pun factor, Myagdi appears to be in favour of RSP, as the RSP candidate has already endorsed Mahabir Pun.