Candidates contesting the polls from the constituency are busy visiting the settlements stretching from Mobakhola VDC to the road linking the district with Kathmandu. Even the locals at tea shops, hotels and restaurants were found talking about the elections. They were found discussing the candidates likely to win elections. [break]
“My tea shop has become a place for people to talk about the upcoming elections. While some claim that the Nepali Congress would win, others claim that the UML and other parties have an equally strong chance to emerge victorious,” said Uma Kumari Pathak, 55, another tea-shop owner.
UCPN (Maoist) candidate Shalik Ram Jammarkatel had won from the constituency 3 of the district in the previous Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. UML candidate Rajendra Pandey and Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Buddha Laxmi Lama were his contenders. Pandey and Jammarkatel are contesting from the constituency this time around as well.
UML leader Pandey has accused the UCPN (Maoist) leader Jammarkatel of employing deceitful means to win the previous election. However, Jammarkatel has claimed that he won the elections as his party had floated a clear agenda. “As we have a clear agenda my victory in the elections is certain this time around as well.” He also claimed that the UML has lost ground in the district.
“The voters in the constituency have assured me of victory,” added Jammarkatel. “It is only our party that can guarantee secularism, democracy, inclusion and reservation for Dalits and other marginalized communities,” said Jammarkatel. He also claimed that he has provided employment to youth in the constituency.
UML candidate Pandey also claimed that the voters were closer to him as had taken initiatives to bring in developmental budget in the district. “I took initiatives to construct 131 schools. Likewise, it was under my initiative that the roads linking the constituency with the highway were constructed. Vegetables worth millions of rupees are exported to Kathmandu after construction of the roads,” claimed Pandey.
NC candidate Lama also claimed that her victory was certain. “The situation is in my favor,” claimed Lama. She insisted that her victory is certain as people from the indigenous community identify with her. “I have visited every corner of the constituency and people have assured me of victory,” added Lama.
Likewise, General Secretary of Federal Republican Socialist Party-Nepal (FSP-N) Tek Bahadur Tamang is also in the race from the same constituency. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) candidate Jit Bahadur Bhandari, CPN (ML)´s Rideshare Simkhada, RPP-Nepal´s Sudeep Upreti, Nepal Workers and Peasants´ Party´s Dev Twanbasu, Jan Mukti Morcha´s Karna Bahadur Tamang, Jan Morcha Nepal´s Tanka Bahadur Bhandari, Nepali Communist Party´s Kanchha Tamang, Shiva Sena Nepal´s Sanu Kanchha Lama, Rastriya Janata Party´s Suraj Kunwar, Desh Bhakta Paryabaraniya Samajik Morcha´s Raj Kumar Aryal, Shanti Party Nepal Nava Raj Aryal, Rastriya Nagarik Party´s Babu Ram Thapa, and Sadbhavana Party´s Prakash Chandra Rawal, among others are also contesting the polls from the same constituency. There are altogether 22 candidates contesting from constituency number 3 of the district.
In the previous CA elections, Maoist candidate Jammarkatel secured 25,075 votes, UML candidate Pandey secured 14,580 votes, and NC candidate Raja Ram Karki Kshetri got 8,619 votes.
Similarly, while the UCPN (Maoist) secured 23,212 votes, UML and NC secured 15,092 and 8,888 votes respectively under the Proportional Representation (PR) electoral system in the previous election.
The total number of voters registered from the constituency stands at 63,124. There are 93 and 34 polling centers and polling stations in the constituency, respectively.
The number of voters at Naubise, Baireni, Jeevanpur, Mahadevsthan, and Benighat stands at 8,208, 6,238, 5,768, 5,754 and 4,589, respectively. There are 14 VDCs in the constituency.
Constituency 3 of Dhading district has been classified as a sensitive constituency. “We have prepared a unified election security plan for the constituency,” said Chief District Officer of Dhading, Bishnu Prasad Pokharel. He said 12 polling centers have been classified as highly sensitive, 75 sensitive and 23 at normal in view of poll security. He said the government has deployed Nepal Police, Nepal Army, and Armed Police Force personnel to ensure security in the constituency during the elections. “Constituency 3 will likely to see some confrontations,” said the police. Police officials, however, said that they are prepared to hold the polls in an environment free of fear.
Chief Election Officer of the district Ramesh Raj Pokharel has they have so far sought clarification from a few candidates for violating election code of conduct. He also said that the office has received several complaints regarding violation of the election code of conduct.
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