The electoral battle in Jhapa District, particularly Constituency 2, has intensified as two former high-ranking parliamentary officials face off.
During her interview with Nepalkhabar's TATKALAI, Indira Rana Magar of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a former Deputy Speaker, challenges the incumbent Speaker and CPN-UML leader, Devraj Ghimire.
Rana Magar, renowned for her decades of social work in prison reform, is transitioning from a proportional representation seat to a direct grassroots campaign.
Initially viewing politics with skepticism, she now considers it the "ultimate form of social service" that dictates every aspect of life.
Unlike traditional candidates who promise infrastructure, she is candid with voters. She says, "I am not here to build roads or sewers; I am here to draft laws. Good laws ensure that bridges and roads are built correctly."
Relying on her previous bank balance and spontaneous public support, she aims to debunk the myth that elections require massive wealth.
She supports RSP’s strategy to bring newcomers together, including backing Kathmandu’s former Mayor Balendra Shah for Prime Minister. She admires his "action-oriented" style and his advice to her, "Don’t talk much, sister; let the work speak."
Despite running in a UML stronghold, Rana Magar remains unfazed by her opponent. She views her candidacy not as an act of enmity but as a democratic right to offer the public a choice based on her life's work for the marginalized—the "grassroots" citizens.
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