Jhapa (Nepal), March 2 (IANS) Nepal’s Jhapa-5 constituency, lying close to the India border, is bustling with activity this Monday, but if elections are about blaring loudspeakers, street corner meetings, and aggressive street marches, the hullabaloo is comparatively less hours before campaign ends officially. Significantly, on March 5, Nepal’s former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli takes on formidable Gen Z icon Balendra Shah.
Yet, in Damak, said to be among the oldest municipalities in Nepal’s eastern district of Jhapa, some residents share exuberance over the role they will play in determining the country’s fate when national election is held on Thursday, March 5.
Till now, the constituency has returned former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli multiple times to the Parliament. In September last year, the then premier was forced to resign mid-term, facing widespread Gen Z protests.
Pitted against him this time is his nemesis Balendra Shah, a hugely popular rapper who lent his support to the Gen Z movement aimed largely against alleged corruption and nepotism against the regime.
Parts of the local population is actively supporting the engineer-turned-rapper who has the credit of being the only independent candidate going on to become the Mayor of Kathmandu.
He resigned to challenge the former Prime Minister in his home turf of Jhapa-5.
“He is our hope for the future,” cried out local lad Chhabilal, as a carcade zipped past with Balendra Shah leading it. “It’s time for change,” he added.
However, Oli’s camp is not giving up without a fight, where it believes the seat’s past history will weigh down in the end.
“He (Oli) is a seasoned politician, don’t assume he will be unseated so easily,” contented Sameer Pradhan,” adding that “foreign hands” wanted to create unrest in the tiny Himalayan state.
He alleged that “neighbours”, and “Western powers” were behind the claimed “disturbance”.
He asserted that the electors will remain loyal to the 74-year-old former Prime Minister, claiming that the seat is a strong Communist fortress.
“Oli holds influence over a significant part of the electorate and has often recorded one-sided victories in past elections and will, therefore, pose a formidable hurdle for the challenger,” he shared.
However, regional reports suggest that unlike earlier, Oli has not hit the campaign trails outside his constituency, or those lying on its fringes.
Such accounts suggest a possible turn in election fortune with a “swing vote” coming in favour of the younger opponent.
Meanwhile, Balendra Shah's followers are counting heavily on Gen Z electors, who almost worship the 35-year-old rage on social media. He was among their popular choice as interim Prime Minister, but excused himself, suggesting the name of Nepal’s first female justice Sushila Karki.
Balendra Shah who is popularly known as Balen, currently represents the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and is now being projected as the future Prime Minister of Nepal.
Many of the people working for his victory are not members of the RSP, but call themselves “supporters” of the youth icon, as does Parbat Basnet, a 24-year-old rapper and social media activist.
“There are about 1,60,000 voters in Jhapa-5 constituency, with roughly 20,000 of them representing the Gen Z,” he explained.
“We are expecting a voters’ turnout of about 62-63 per cent on Thursday. Almost the entire group of youth representatives are expected to exercise their franchise, and at least half of the older generation are looking for a change – for a clean and efficient government,” added Basnet.
That, he contended, would give his leader an overwhelming majority.
The youth icon himself remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, with a handful of close associates aware of his schedule details. Some claim that his day’s itinerary is released late at night, adding to the veil of secrecy.
India, meanwhile, is keeping a close watch on the poll process, considering the country is a neighbour that has of late witnessed growing footprints of projects from China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
--IANS
jb/rad
