LAHAN, Jan 24: Saptari district in Madhesh Province is under the national spotlight as the House of Representatives (HoR) election is scheduled for March 5. In its two constituencies, the stakes are high: the prestige of four central party leaders hangs in the balance. With heavyweight contenders vying for dominance, these constituencies have become election hotbeds, drawing intense scrutiny from voters and political observers alike.
In Saptari–2, the battle has become a true matter of prestige. The race features Dr. Chandrakant Raut (CK), Chair of Janamat Party; former Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Umesh Kumar Yadav; Satish Kumar Singh, former Chief Minister of Madhesh Province and Chair of the Swabhiman Party; and Sharad Singh Yadav, Chair of the Janadhikar Party. Umesh Yadav is contesting from Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, making it a crowded field of 31 candidates.
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Raut is a repeat candidate. He had won in 2079 BS with 35,042 votes, while his main competitor, Upendra Yadav, Chair of JSP-Nepal, had secured 16,979 votes. Satish Singh, the former Chief Minister, was elected in 2079 BS from Janamat Party in Saptari–2(1) with 16,734 votes, defeating Shailendra Prasad Sah of JSP-Nepal, who received 8,292 votes. Umesh Kumar Yadav, meanwhile, won Saptari–3 in the 2070 BS Constituent Assembly election with 8,746 votes, narrowly beating Shailendra Prasad Sah of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, who got 6,487 votes.
In the 2074 BS election, Upendra Yadav of JSP emerged victorious from this constituency with 21,620 votes, defeating Umesh Kumar Yadav of the then CPN (Maoist Centre), who received 11,580 votes. This year, former lawmaker Suryanath Yadav is contesting from Nepali Communist Party (NCP), Ramkumar Yadav from Nepali Congress (NC), and Ramji Yadav from RSP. Early trends suggest a three-way tussle among Umesh, CK Raut, and Satish Singh, keeping the outcome unpredictable.
Meanwhile, in Saptari–3, Upendra Yadav faces stiff competition from former NC lawmaker Dinesh Kumar Yadav and Tarakanth Chaudhary of UML. In 2022, Dinesh Kumar Yadav narrowly clinched the seat with 26,166 votes, defeating Chaudhary, who received 22,300 votes. At that time, Upendra Yadav’s then Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum did not field a candidate, reportedly leaving Saptari–3 open to support NC in Saptari–2—a strategic move that helped Dinesh secure victory.
The history of Saptari–2 adds further drama to the race. Except for Gajendra Narayan Singh, Chair of Nepal Sadbhawana Party, no candidate has contested multiple times. Singh contested three times, winning twice in 2048 BS and 2051 BS, but lost narrowly in 2056 BS. In 2048 BS, he received 9,471 votes, defeating Indradev Singh of NC, who got 7,169 votes. In 2051 BS, Singh won with 10,424 votes, beating Madhukant Singh of NC, who secured 9,308 votes. In 2056 BS, Ramkumar Chaudhary of NC edged him out by just 17 votes, winning 12,970 to Singh’s 12,953.
If CK Raut wins this year, he will not only secure a hard-fought victory but also match Gajendra Narayan Singh’s historic legacy, carving his name into Saptari’s political history.
