The by-elections were a litmus test of public opinion about the major parties and govt
KATHMANDU, APRIL 23
By-elections were held in three constituencies – Bara-2, Chitwan-2 and Tanahun-1 – yesterday in a peaceful manner, except for sporadic incidents of violence or intimidation of the voters at some polling stations.
A total of 65 candidates – 34 in Bara-2, 22 in Chitwan-2, and nine in Tanahun-1 – contested the by-elections. Tanahun-1 constituency remained vacant after Nepali Congress lawmaker Ram Chandra Paudel was elected President while Bara-2 fell vacant after Ram Sahay Yadav was elected Vice-President.
Chitwan-2 had fallen vacant after Rabi Lamichhane of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), who had won the November 20 election with a huge margin of votes, was disqualified by the Supreme Court over his citizenship controversy. Rabi not only lost his seat but also the Home Ministry portfolio and chair of the RSP. The Election Commission (EC) had set up 43 polling centres and 138 polling booths in Chitwan-2, 82 polling centres and 137 polling booths in Bara-2, and 69 polling centres and 152 polling booths in Tanahun-1. Voters cast their votes from 7:00am to 5:00pm. There were 105,248 voters in Bara-2, 124,696 voters in Chitwan-2 and 123,305 votes in Tanahun-1.
A large number of security personnel were deployed in all the three constituencies to deal with any untoward incidents in the course of voting.
The by-elections were contested among the candidates of the ruling Nepali Congress, main opposition CPN-UML and RSP. The ruling CPN-Maoist Centre and CPN-Unified Socialist Party did not field their candidates as they extended their support to the NC candidates. Among the notable candidates contesting the by-elections are former DIG Ramesh Kharel in Bara-2, Lamichhane in Chitwan-2 and economist Swarnim Wagle inTanahun-1 on behalf of the RSP. While Lamichhane has thrown his hat to retain his constituency that he lost due to the court's verdict, Kharel and Wagle contested the by-elections for the first time from Bara-2 and Tanahun-1. The EC had barred voters from carrying mobile phones, camera or inflammable objects to the polling stations.
The by-elections were held after five months of the general elections, which produced a hung-parliament in the centre, and hung assemblies in all seven provinces, forcing the parties to forge alliances among themselves. The by-elections were also a litmus test of the popularity of the major political parties and the coalition government, both of which have shown no clear roadmap to steer the national economy in the right direction. Political analysts have also termed the by-elections as a 'prelude' to the next general election to be held in 2028.
Majority of the voters interviewed before they voted said they were frustrated with the major political parties' total negligence of the people. The major political parties, which have remained in power for over three decades since the restoration of democracy in 1990, are now feeling the heat from the newly-emerged RSP, which has vowed to end corruption and ensure good governance to lift the country from least developed status to a middle-income nation within the next five years.
The by-elections are also a clear indication of the next political course the country will take. The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led coalition government could also topple should the RSP win in all the constituencies.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 24, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
