MJF candidate Sarbadev Ojha won Banke 3 seat, defeating Nepali Congress heavyweight Sushil Koirala.

Born in Parasohoiya VDC of Kapilvastu district in 1960, Ojha earned bachelor’s degree in management in India and taught in a lower secondary school in Bardiya. Thenafter, he went to Kanpur, where he did postgraduate in management. Ojha, who is not president of

MJF (Bardiya), joined the department of agriculture market services as a non-gazetted officer in 1982.

He was posted to Banke in 1994.

In early years of his political journey, he was considered close to NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka. He was posted to Dang as the local development officer. During his stint as LDO, It he was accused of corruption and a case against him was filed at the CIAA. He was subsequently transferred to the far-western region. He said he resigned as LDO owing to discriminatory behavior of Bahuns and Chhetris. “I have faced discrimination as a Madheshi. I joined politics to liberate the Madheshi community”, Ojha said. Ojha joined the MJF in 2006. As Banke district president of the MJF, he was actively involved in the Madheshi agitation.

According to him, the transformation of the country into an inclusive democratic republic is his party’s main agenda. This CA member has pledged to draft a constitution that will safeguard the rights of the Madheshis.

Fighting for landless

Maoist candidate Purna Kumari Subedi won Banke 4 seat. Subedi, who was born in Lalachaur of Kaski district in 1958, headed the people’s government in Banke and was Maoist nominee in the interim parliament. After marriage, Subedi moved to Chitwan in 1985; later she settled in Kohalpur of Banke district.

As a Maoist member, she remained underground for 10 years.

According to Subedi, abolition of monarchy and the transformation of the country into a federal democratic republic are main agendas of her party.

Her priorities: Resolution of the problems facing the landless and freed kamaiyas. She also plans to facilitate the construction of infrastructure like roads and irrigation facilities.