Election climate warms up in Nepal's Jhapa as former Kathmandu mayor Balen challenges deposed PM Oli

KATHMANDU: (Feb 9) Weeks ahead of the March 5 general election, Jhapa constituency in eastern Nepal has been hogging much of the limelight with former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah 'Balen' taking on the deposed prime minister K P Sharma Oli.

On Sunday alone, Balen, popular rapper-turned-politician, and the prime ministerial face of the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), reached the Jhapa-5 constituency in Koshi province while Oli, the chair of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) – CPN-UML – already reached their two days ago to launch door-to-door campaign to woo voters.

Oli has won parliamentary elections from Jhapa district six times out of seven in the past. In the last election, he defeated Nepali Congress candidate by a huge margin.