KATHMANDU, Nov 30: Taking on the bigwigs of major political parties, three youth candidates of Bibeksheel Sajha Party (BSP) are posing a serious challenge in various constituencies in the capital city.  With the polls just a week away, these youths in their 20s are widely seen as strong competition for the two-time lawmakers of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Center). 

Milan Pandey, 28 is contesting  Kathmandu-9 where the NC-led alliance and the UML-led leftist alliance have fielded the same old faces that have been contesting polls for over a decade now.

While the NC-led alliance has fielded two-time former lawmaker Dhyan Govinda Ranjit, the UML-led alliance man is Krishna Gopal Shrestha, who also has been contesting from the same area since the 1990s. 

Kathmandu-4 candidate of BSP Subuna Basnet turned 26 on Wednesday. She is posing a strong challenge to  NC lawmaker and veteran youth leader Gagan Thapa and the UML's former lawmaker Rajan Bhattarai. 

Pukar Bam, 30, the BSP candidate for Kathmandu-8, is posing a similar challenge to a two-time former lawmaker from the constituency Nabindra Raj Joshi of NC and former UML poll candidate from the same constituency Jeevan Ram Shrestha. 

All three youth leaders with their innovative agendas and touch of charisma have drawn support mainly from young voters. 

Pandey, 28,  a part-time engineering consultant, has been receiving exciting support from locals in  Kathmandu-9. The youth candidate is hopeful of prevailing over old faces that have been contesting form the constituency for more than two decades. “People in this constituency have not been able to vote for a new face since 1990. I am the only youth candidate here,” Pandey claimed.

The party has also taken heart from the results of the May-28 local election in this constituency, in addition to the many new supporters of the emerging alternative party.  Ward no 16 in  Kathmandu is believed to be its major stronghold due to the personal influence of Sajha Party's mayoral candidate Kishore Thapa. Thapa had received an encouraging vote in this area. 

The party has also been mobilizing leaders of local community organizations. “We are enthusiastic over the support of independent individuals in our election campaign,” Pandey added. 
Kathmandu-8 candidate Pukar Bam has been receiving a positive response from the locals who praise his work in rescue and relief in the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake. “I have spent most of the last four years in social work and efforts to save cultural and historical heritage here after I lost the constituency in the 2013 election,” he said. 

He has just concluded door-to-door campaigning and is reaching out to voters through telephone and social media. “People have taken us as a major competitor in this election, which is encouraging,” he added.  According to Bam, the party is in third position in the local polls in his constituency. But he is hopeful about voters who are frustrated with the NC candidate who won in two past consecutive polls and UML's repeat candidate.  

Subuna, is facing a younger contender than the other youth candidates of the party. “Both of my major contenders were lawmakers from this constituency in the past, but people here are irked with them for failing to work on local issues. Many who voted for other parties in the past have assured me to vote for me this time,” said Basnet. 

The party is contesting for the provincial assembly from Kapan and Kathmandu-30,  where  NC and UML  have not fielded anyone, she claimed.  “I have found many voters who don't openly join our poll campaign but have been supporting us,” she added. 

 
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