DANG, Feb 20: With emotion, experience and a sense of finality shaping their campaigns, three veteran leaders in Dang are asking voters for support—possibly for the last time.
CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel is in a tight contest in Dang-2. This time, however, his message is different. In the 2079 BS House of Representatives (HoR) election, he presented himself as a prospective prime minister but was defeated. Now, calling this his “last opportunity,” he is appealing to voters on an emotional note.
After the CPN-UML declared party chair KP Sharma Oli as its prime ministerial candidate, Pokhrel’s path to project himself as a future PM effectively closed. He is now portraying this election as his final battle and seeking what appears to be a graceful exit from his long political journey.
“This is my last opportunity,” Pokhrel has been telling voters during house-to-house visits. “You will not let my final chance go to waste.”
NC candidate uses drone for canvassing for votes
Pokhrel began his electoral journey in 2051 BS, winning his first parliamentary election by defeating Nepali Congress (NC) leader Deepak Giri. That victory marked the beginning of his political rise. Since then, he has experienced both triumphs and setbacks—losing in 2056 BS, entering the Constituent Assembly through proportional representation in 2064 BS amid the Maoist wave, and later becoming the first Chief Minister of Lumbini Province after winning the 2074 BS provincial election.
In 2079 BS, UML again fielded him in Dang-2, but he lost to CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Rekha Sharma. Having contested nearly every election since 2051 BS, Pokhrel now frames this race as his final attempt to return to Parliament and contribute to Dang’s development.
Meanwhile, in Dang-3, his long-time rival Deepak Giri is delivering a similar message. A leader of the NC, Giri, says this election will be his last.
The two first faced off in 2051 BS. Giri lost that contest and did not receive a party ticket in 2056 BS. He was defeated again in 2064 BS but finally broke through in 2070 BS, defeating UML’s Uttarkumar Oli to enter Parliament for the first time. He later lost in 2074 BS but reclaimed victory in 2079 BS.
Except for one election, Giri has contested nearly every parliamentary race since 2051 BS. Now, seeking a second consecutive win, he says he has entered the fray to complete unfinished tasks and bring his political career to a meaningful close.
Similarly, in Dang-1, UML leader Rewati Raman Sharma is also seeking what he calls a fitting farewell. Sharma began his political journey in 2054 BS through local elections, winning the chairperson post of the then Chaulahi VDC. Though he lost in both Constituent Assembly elections, he secured victory in the 2074 BS Provincial Assembly election.
Having earlier indicated that his previous race would be his last, Sharma has once again stepped into the contest, encouraged by his party, which considers him a seasoned and experienced candidate. Now back on the campaign trail, visiting voters door-to-door, he too describes this as his final run.
In Dang, this election is shaping up to be more than a battle for seats—it is a defining moment for leaders seeking to script the final chapter of their long political careers.
