Dhangadi, November 6

With political parties picking their candidates from the local Tharu community, Kailali Constituency-3 is all set to witness Tharu candidates competing with each other in the upcoming elections.

A total of 13 candidates including four for the parliament are contesting in the upcoming parliamentary and provincial polls from the constituency.

Nepali Congress has fielded former minister Ram Janam Chaudhary for the parliamentary seat from the constituency, while another former minister and CPN-MC leader Gauri Shankar Tharu is representing the leftist alliance.

Besides, Democratic Forum’s joint-chairperson Bhanuram Tharu and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal’s Mina Chaudhary are also in the fray. While the rivalry between two former ministers is interesting, nomination of Bhanuram, who is deemed influential among the local community, has further added oomph to the electoral battle here.

Former ministers Chaudhary of NC and Tharu of then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum had won from Constituency No 3 and 4 of Kailali respectively during the second Constituent Assembly election. Bhanuram, had garnered significant number of votes from then Tharuhat Tarai Party during the first CA election. Meanwhile, the three candidates have started campaigning by claiming they will win in the election. Chaudhary described his candidacy as being in favour of development and rights of the Tharu community. “By winning from here, I want to complete the tasks I had initiated  earlier,” he said, hoping that he would be elected given his contribution to this place. “I will ensure that all houses get electricity in four years’ time and set up a campus in Hasuliya so that the children of Tharus can study,” he said.

On his part, former minister Tharu seemed confident about his win. He was the one who during his stint as agriculture minister had won popularity by bringing Prime Minister Agriculture Modernisation Programme to Kailali. “As I’ve done a lot for the development of this place, I hope people will vote for me. Besides, there is the advantage of the alliance between two communist parties,” he said, while Tharu identified his status as a local as the major factor for his win.