In a significant political move, Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has announced he will contest the upcoming elections from Sarlahi-4. This decision marks a bold departure for Thapa, who has traditionally secured victories from his "safe" constituency in Kathmandu-4.
Sarlahi-4 has long been considered a traditional base for Nepali Congress, though recent elections have challenged that dominance. The move to Madhesh Province is being viewed by analysts as a strategic effort to consolidate the party's influence in the region.
The electoral landscape in Sarlahi-4 is expected to be highly competitive. In the 2022 elections, the seat was won by Amaresh Kumar Singh, a former Congress leader who ran as an independent after being denied a party ticket. Singh secured 20,017 votes, defeating the official Congress candidate, Nagendra Kumar Yadav, by a margin of 1,765 votes.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is set to field Dr Amaresh Kumar Singh as its candidate for this constituency. RSP Sarlahi President Saroj Baniya confirmed that Singh has already secured the party's ticket.
The constituency has a significant Yadav population. In the last election, independent candidate Madhumala Kumari Yadav garnered over 14,000 votes, indicating that local and caste-based alliances will play a crucial role.
Despite the recent loss to a rebel candidate, Nepali Congress maintains a presence in the area; notably, the party’s Birendra Prasad Singh won the Provincial Assembly seat in Sarlahi 4-1, in the previous cycle.
By moving from the capital to the plains, Thapa aims to reclaim this traditional Congress bastion and prove his leadership appeal beyond the Kathmandu Valley.
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