Parbat : With the House of Representatives election set for March 5 approaching, political parties and candidates are turning their attention to the villages.

Candidates are actively engaging with voters, sharing their ideas, principles, and plans, and working to sway votes.

In the district, candidates from 13 different political parties are now in the electoral race. Arjun Prasad Joshi is running for election with the Nepali Congress (NC), while Padam Giri is representing CPN (UML). Manahari Sharma is the candidate for the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), and Sagar Bhusal is contesting from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

The NC has launched its campaign from Pipaltari, the UML from Durlung, the Nepali Communist Party from Ramjadeurali, and the Rastriya Swatantra Party from Phalewas.

Currently, candidates from all parties are visiting local neighborhoods and going door to door, meeting with voters.

Some voters are calling for an end to the rising irregularities and corruption in the country, alongside addressing local concerns, while others are voicing their demands to candidates, including road improvements, managing the monkey problem, irrigation, quality healthcare services, and tackling unemployment.

In all 61 wards across the seven municipalities of Parbat, road access has been enhanced with asphalt, and most ward roads have already been paved. Now, residents are requesting the construction of quality roads leading to neighborhoods and settlements as well.

In the rural areas, the most significant challenge remains the monkey menace, with locals urging for effective solutions.

Although candidates’ election manifestos have consistently included plans to tackle the monkey issue, implementation has yet to occur. Candidates have noted that due to the absence of effective legislation on this matter, it is essential to develop

a law and proceed accordingly in the future.
Nepali Congress candidate Joshi said that having transformed the party, he has now entered the electoral field to transform the district and the country as a whole. He said that he has filed his candidacy to work according to the needs and desires of the people, not with grand, impossible, or ambitious plans.

The UML candidate Giri stated that he has undertaken a lot of works for the development of the district in the previous two terms and has filed his candidacy again as there is still some work left to complete.

The candidate of the Nepali Communist Party, Sharma, emphasised the need to work in a planned manner for the overall development of Parbat. He added that he has a blueprint for plans including education, health, agriculture, animal husbandry, self-employment, infrastructure, industrialisation as well as monkey control.

Rastriya Swatantra Party’s candidate Bhusal highlighted the need to change policies and laws as an alternative to the current governance system in the country.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), CPN Maoist, National People’s Front, Ujyalo Nepal Party, Mongol National Party, People’s Party, National Republic Nepal, National People’s Liberation Party, Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, among others, have also reported that they are conducting their election activities meticulously.

There are 125,466 voters in Parbat, who will be voting from 76 polling stations and 151 polling centres in the upcoming HoR election.