Raj Kishor Yadav vs Ajay Shankhar Nayak: Tough race likely in Siraha-4

LAHAN, Nov 20: When the election fever has reached its climax in the country on the eve of the House of Representatives and Province Assemblies elections going to be held in two rounds, two former ministers are likely to see a tight competition in the Siraha constituency no 4.

Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN) presidium member and former minister Raj Kishor Yadav and CPN (Maoist Center) leader and former Minister Ajay Shankar Nayak (candidate from the leftist alliance) are likely to be in a tough race for a seat in the House of Representatives. Both elections are taking place in Siraha on December 7 in the second phase.

Nepali Congress leader and erstwhile lawmaker Mohamad Mokhtar Ahamad has been taken as the strong candidate for the election along with two ex-ministers.

Leader Nayak is known as a good administrator within the party and is a popular face among the locals while the candidacy from the Madesh-centric party cannot be underrated in the Tarai/ Madhes district.

Former Minister Nayak said he was fully confident of his victory in the election. “I have been with the people since the past and I am sure that voters here will send me to the House of Representatives,” he said.

RJPN candidate Yadav is expected to be his top rival. Yadav may have the maximum support from the Yadav community which resides densely in the southern part of the constituency. Besides, the (positive) impact of the Madhes movement here may help him in the election. However, voices from some sections of people are being heard that it would be a really tough for Yadav to win the election in this Communist stronghold region.

Yadav who had begun his active political career amidst the Madhes movement believe that he has a strong base for winning the election. “Siraha is the place of origin of the Madesh movement and my politics is dedicated to the Madhes and Madhesi people and I am fully confident that people here will elect me as their representative to the centre,” he said.

Similarly, NC candidate Ahamad who establishes his identity as the straightforward and honest leader claimed that the election results would come in his favor.

However, local intellectuals are seeing a tough competition among three leaders in this constituency characterized by a mixed society of hilly people, Dalit, Yadav and Muslim communities. They viewed that it would be premature prediction to talk about the victory of a specific candidate and we have to wait for the election results. The constituency covering five out of 17 local levels in the district has 81,302 voters (38,106 female and 43,196 male), according to the data of the District Election Office, Siraha.