Kathmandu District Constituency No. 3 Becomes a Center of Attraction in the Upcoming Election

Kathmandu. As the House of Representatives elections approach, Kathmandu Constituency No. 3 has become a special center of interest this time. The presence of high-profile candidates suggests that the electoral competition in this region will be very interesting. In particular, with the entry of Kulman Ghising, who has filed his candidacy from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party, the electoral heat is expected to take a different turn.

Ghising, a former minister and famous executive director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, is considered popular among general voters due to his good governance, performance capability, and honest public image. The role he played in ending the daily 18-hour load-shedding that the country suffered for decades has established him as a "leader who shows results through work." Because of this background, his candidacy in Kathmandu Constituency No. 3 is being viewed significantly.

Competing against Ghising are Niraj Lama from the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Raju Pandey from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Ramesh Aryal from the Nepali Congress, and Rameshwor Phuyal from the CPN (UML). However, Ghising's administrative experience, result-oriented leadership, and clear vision for development have given him a distinct identity compared to other candidates.

Ghising is also a former minister of the Government of Nepal. He served as the Minister for Urban Development, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, and Physical Infrastructure and Transport in the interim Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki from 30 Bhadra 2082 to 23 Poush 2082. The efficiency he demonstrated in both roles as a minister and managing director has become his main political capital.

Among other candidates, Raju Pandey from the RSP is the outgoing City Police Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, while Ramesh Aryal of the Nepali Congress is a former ward chairperson of Gokarneshwar Municipality Ward No. 6 from the 2074 BS local level elections. UML candidate Rameshwor Phuyal is also a former member of the Constituent Assembly.

While local development, good governance, infrastructure expansion, job creation, and effective service delivery are common agendas for all candidates, the number of voters who decide based on "experience of having shown work" seems to be increasing. For this reason, curiosity regarding which direction the election results in Kathmandu-3 will turn due to Kulman’s candidacy has heightened. Amidst the clash of high-profile candidates, the election in Kathmandu-3 is being seen as a testing ground for personality, capability, and trust.

Geographically, this area is considered a region that meets half of Kathmandu's drinking water demand. However, the problem of drinking water exists acutely within this very region. Even though the main water supply networks are laid through this route, the long-term drinking water problem in wards 4, 6, and 9 of Gokarneshwar Municipality has not been resolved. Issues such as sewage management, the condition of the road network, and waste management are also long-standing.

Similarly, the problem of wildlife has become serious in the Gokarneshwar-1 Sundarijal area. Since it is a buffer zone of the Shivapuri National Park, the problem of wild animals entering settlements and destroying crops has persisted for a long time. These problems are being viewed as primary issues in the clash of high-profile candidates. 

This time, the constituency is being seen not just as a partisan competition, but as a testing ground for personality, work efficiency, and public trust.