Former ministers rivals in polls
- In the recently concluded civic polls, NC and UML had won one municipality each
Gaighat, November 14
Udayapur Constituency No 1 is all set to see two former ministers contest a parliamentary seat for the upcoming elections.
Nepali Congress central member and former urban development minister Narayan Khadka and UML central member and former urban state minister Manju Chaudhary, from the left alliance, will battle for votes in the constituency.
Khadka had won both the first and second Constituent Assembly elections from here while Chaudhary had been elected from Constituency No 2 in the second CA election.
Having served as personal adviser to late prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai in the beginning and then as minister more than once, Khadka is a popular leader who has contributed significantly to the development of the district. He has a number of projects including schools, embankments, roads and bridges to his credit.
Chaudhary, on the other hand, is expected to appeal to the local Tharu community and benefit from the community.
“While Khadka is a popular leader, Chaudhary’s chances are not slim given the alliance between the two communist parties, plus the votes she is likely to get from the local Tharu community,” said an independent political analyst. NC and the UML had won one municipality each from the constituency in the past elections.
In Constituency No 2, NC’s Narayan Karki and CPN-MC politburo member Suresh Rai will be taking on each other. Karki had won from Constituency No 3 in the second CA election, while Rai had lost from the same constituency in the same election.
