You have already noticed that the election fever has already gripped the nation as the date of local elections is coming closer. After filing their candidacies, the candidates and their supporters are going door to door to woo voters. Moreover, the local elections this time are expected to get more interesting as there are some interesting characters as independent candidates.
Some of the independent candidates are earning so much hype and they have become the talk of the town all across the country. Today, we have come up with a list of 10 key independent candidates of the local elections as they have stolen the limelight across Nepal.
1. Balen
Rapper and structural engineer Balen Shah, popularly known by his first name, has filed a nomination for the mayor of Kathmandu metropolitan city. He is one of the most talked-about independent candidates across Nepal.
Balen is well known among the youth due to his rap music. He, as an engineer, has worked on different reconstruction projects in different parts of the country.
2. Ganes Paudel
Writer Ganes Paudel is the mayoral candidate for the Pokhara metropolitan city in Kaski. Paudel is also the spearheader of the Ateri campaign, a social campaign concerned with leadership.
He is the author of Paitala, a novel, and has translated John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men into the Nepali language and published it as Musa Manush.
3. Narsingh Byanjankar
Narsingh Byanjakar is probably one of the oldest independent candidates in the upcoming local elections. The 89-year-old has filed a nomination for the post of ward chair of Lalitpur metropolitan city-10.
4. Prakash Bhattarai
Image: Facebook
Prakash Bhattarai has filed a nomination for the position of mayor of Sundarharaicha municipality in the Morang district. Bhattarai holds a PhD in peace and conflict from Otago University, New Zealand.
He has been working in the field of democracy, good governance and social justice for the last 20 years.
5. Sumit Kharel
Sumit Kharel has registered his candidacy for the mayor of Budhanilkantha municipality. Kharel worked at the secretariat of the outgoing Budhanilakantha mayor for four years before deciding to run for the top position. The 32-year-old independent candidate is also a Teach for Nepal alumni.
6. Prem Bahadur Bohora
Prem Bahadur Bohora has filed his nominations for the Thulo Bheri municipality mayor in Dolpa.
Bohora is popular among the youth in his district, and for a long time, he has been running youth awareness and anti-corruption campaigns. Likewise, he is also the author of Kogle, a book that tells the story of Dolpa’s youth.
7. Maya Gurung
Image: Facebook
Maya Gurung has filed a nomination for the post of chairperson of Panchpokhari Thangpal rural municipality in Sindhupalchok.
She has submitted Mt Everest and all the highest peaks of seven continents.
8. Bidya Shrestha
Image: Facebook
Bidya Shrestha has filed a nomination for the post of deputy mayor of Kathmandu metropolitan city. For over a decade, Shrestha has been involved in social work.
Once she will win the election, her priority will be on social justice and anti-corruption movements.
9. Gopal Hamal
Businessperson Gopal Hamal has filed candidacy for the mayor of Dhangadhi sub-metropolitan city.
Hamal was also the independent mayoral candidate in the 2017 local elections. During that election, he received 11,527 votes and secured the second position.
10. Tara Prasad Pandey
Image: Facebook
Engineer Tara Prasad Pandey has filed a nomination for the post of chairperson of Bannigadi Jayagad rural municipality, Achham.
Pandey is also an outgoing president of the Achham Gajal Forum and Progressive Writers Association.