What made Balen Shah, harka Shampang rai and Gopal hamal win the election

With the successful completion of the local election in 2022, the three independent candidatesBalen Shah in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Harka Shampang Rai in Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City and Gopal Hamal in Dhangadi Sub-Metropolitan City -have made the headlines. They have become the talk of the town with people hoping for the makeover of their respective cities. Given the early indication, the mayors seem very committed to delivering what they have vowed in the election campaign Though every election in Nepal or elsewhere decides the fate of many candidates, this election has sent a clear message that the days of our old leaders, who never work for the welfare of the nation and its people, are numbered. The election result has also given the impression that Nepali people will always unseat the nonperformer and will look for an alternative when their aspirations are not taken seriously. Now, all eyes are on the newcomers and we hope they will not let the expectation of people down. As they have already won the heart of the people who gave them the mandate, it is important to assess what made them the heroes of the people within a very short time.

Harka Shampang Rai was very much aware of the problem crippling the people of Dharan Sub Metropolitan. He was also mindful of the fact that the people have been struggling with potholes that had been giving them a headache as the concerned authority had been turning blind eye to the problem. Lack of pure drinking water was the other primary problem that had remained unattended by the concerned authority. When these key issues related to people’s day to day life remained unaddressed for long, Rai adopted them as his primary agenda during the election campaign. He committed that the first work after assuming the office would be to end the water crises in Dharan Sub Metropolitan City. It is said that he had been in contact with people speaking and advocating for the issue even before the election. He did not sell any lofty and airy promises to the people. He also did not fool the people by saying Dharan will soon witness the Monorail or alike. Instead, he raised the day to day problems of people like drinking water, potholes on the road and the homeless population. All these were long-standing problems that the residents were struggling with.

Rai’s strategy was very simple. He expressed solidarity with the general people’s social concerns and advocated for them even before the election. Political parties campaign with large crowds of party cadres and supporters. But Rai was different. His style of campaigning touched the heart of the people. He went door to door alone and travelled by his bicycle or tempo attire in simple clothes. When he promised, people did not see them as an empty promise from a politician but as a real commitment from someone with untainted background and record. Mayor of Dhangadi Sub Metropolitan City, Gopal Himal, also adopted a similar strategy. As a businessman and social worker, Hamal has been constantly reaching out to people and talking about their problems.

While working as a social worker he had managed two hearse vans for the cremation of dead bodies during the COVID outbreak. He also initiated Sundar Sudur Pachim tourism campaign aimed at bringing more tourists to Dhangadi and Nepal’s neglected far west.

Hamal also committed that he would never involve in financial irregularities. He also underlined that he would need to take a bribe or indulge in corruption as he was a wealthy businessman. His commitment not to succumb to political pressure despite being an independent candidate was sufficient to convince the people.

It is reported that he even reach out to people asking them whether he should run as a member of the Bibeksheel party, of which he was a member, or as an independent member. As suggested by the people, he resigned from the party and registered as an independent candidate. This indicated that he honored people's suggestions more than anything else.

With his past noble work and honoring public suggestion, Hamal persuaded people to cast vote for him which is why he is the mayor of Dhangadi Sub Metropolitan City Balen Shah was no different. Like Rai and Hamal, he embraced simple strategies to win the heart of the people. He said he will not introduce a monorail or make a view tower in the valley. He also did not try to fool people by selling a lofty and airy promises. Instead, he said that he will facelift the Kathmandu valley through proper waste management, access to quality health services and improving the quality of public schools and vocational training, the issues the politician do not talk about. Shah did not raise any unrealistic issues but came up with simple yet important issues infesting society. He proposed a concrete plan along with a tentative budget to solve the impending problems like traffic congestion, pollution and garbage. With his realistic agenda backed by concrete plans, people were convinced that Shah will not let them down if he happens to win the election.

The success of these three independent candidates indicates that one does not need to form a political party to win the election. It has also sent the message that candidates need to reach out to people, talk to them about their day to day problems and suggest concrete plans to resolve them. Most importantly, it has indicated that rhetoric strategies will not work and people will use their critical thinking while voting who is right and who is not.