KATHMANDU: Former mayor of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City and chairperson of the Shram Sanskriti Party, Harka Sampang, who rejected unification offers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Ujyalo Nepal Party, and others, has emerged as a candidate for the House of Representatives from Sunsari–1.
Harka, who has fielded party candidates across the country, including in every district of eastern Nepal, is advancing the Shram Sanskriti Party with the claim that he will become prime minister after the election. After stepping down as mayor of Dharan and seeking a federal parliamentary seat, he has promoted the party’s core ideology, which he calls “Harkaism.”
He gained nationwide recognition after launching a mandatory ‘Shramdan’ (voluntary labor) campaign once a week. In the 2022 local elections, he contested the Dharan mayoral race as an independent candidate with the election symbol of a baton, pledging to ensure access to drinking water for residents.
He has partially fulfilled that promise. Local resident Mankaji Shrestha says that although Dharan residents still lack adequate clean drinking water, there has been some improvement.
Aides claim that Harka, who resigned from the mayoral post to contest parliamentary elections, does not face serious difficulty in winning Sunsari–1. “Winning Sunsari is not a problem for him. We are also preparing to win in other eastern constituencies and districts across the country,” said one of his aides. “The focus is not only on his victory but also on expanding the party’s presence elsewhere.”
Harka is unlikely to have an easy contest in the March 5 election, as Goma, who narrowly lost in 2022, has emerged as a strong challenger. It is expected that not only National Independent Party supporters but also voters from the Nepali Congress and UML may back Goma.
Given his popularity, Harka’s victory does not appear easy to challenge. However, he is expected to face strong competition from Goma Tamang (Sarin) of the National Independent Party. Surya Bahadur Bhattarai ‘Manoj’ of the Nepal Communist Party, who resigned as ward chair to contest the parliamentary election, is also expected to secure a notable number of votes. In the 2022 election, Janata Samajwadi Party leader Ashok Rai was elected from Sunsari–1 with the support of CPN-UML.
Harka’s political background
In the 2022 BS local elections, Harka Sampang won the Dharan mayoral post with 20,821 votes, contesting with the baton symbol. Earlier, he had lost the 2076 BS by-election held after the death of the then mayor of Dharan.
At that time, Nepali Congress candidate Kishor Rai secured 16,059 votes, while Manju Bhandari Subedi of CPN-UML received 12,825 votes.
Although Harka adheres to communist ideology, he has not formally aligned with any established party. Leaders say that despite meeting Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ several times, he declined to return to the Maoist Centre.
Emerging largely through social media, Harka says he abandoned his dream of becoming a singer to focus on improving the living standards of Dharan’s residents.
Electoral numbers
In the 2022 parliamentary election, Ashok Rai won Sunsari–1 with 17,058 votes. Goma Tamang finished second with 16,606 votes, losing by a narrow margin of 453 votes. Muksahang Menyangbo of the then Left Alliance secured 13,087 votes, while RPP candidate Ashok Rai Abiral obtained 7,804 votes.
Sampang claims that 80 percent of Dharan’s ward residents will vote for him, citing his focus on development work. He argues that voters will choose him over Goma, whom he describes as a “viral candidate” who, he claims, is relying more on publicity than performance.
In the 2074 BS election, when the Left Alliance was united, UML candidate Jayakumar Rai defeated Ashok Rai of the Federal Socialist Forum by a margin of 22,405 votes.
Tight contest expected
Harka is unlikely to have an easy contest in the March 5 election, as Goma, who narrowly lost in 2022, has emerged as a strong challenger. It is expected that not only National Independent Party supporters but also voters from the Nepali Congress and UML may back Goma.
After the 2022 election, Goma’s popularity in Sunsari–1 has increased. She claims strong grassroots connections. “I have no difficulty winning. The people have shown immense trust in me, and my responsibility is not to betray that trust,” she said. “There is a general belief that Harka and I will be the main contenders.”
Harka, meanwhile, also insists he has no competitor. He has repeatedly stated that he is confident of winning comfortably. “My competitor is myself. I will win the election myself, and I will become prime minister myself,” he said.
Ashok Rai, elected in 2022, has yet to declare his candidacy. He is believed to be supporting NCP candidate Surya Bahadur Bhattarai. However, observers believe Harka may attract a significant share of votes. The CPN-UML has fielded Tika Limbu, while the Nepali Congress has nominated Sujendra Tamang.
According to local resident Sujan Rai of Barahakshetra Municipality–1, voters are now divided and uncertain about choosing between Goma and Harka. In the 2074 BS election, Jayakumar Rai received 44,528 votes, while Ashok Rai secured 22,123 votes.
“The discussion here is largely centered on Harka and Goma, more than on any other candidates. But it is still too early to say who will win,” Sujan told Khabarhub. “Harka could be defeated by Goma because she is a leader who is closely connected with local communities. Although all castes live here, the majority are indigenous people, and it appears that the Chhetri-Bahun community slightly favors Goma.”
As all wards of Dharan Sub-metropolitan City fall within this constituency, it is widely believed that many ward residents will vote for Harka. In addition to Dharan, the constituency also includes Wards 6 and 7 of Ramdhuni Municipality and Wards 1 and 5 of Barahakshetra Rural Municipality.
Sampang claims that 80 percent of Dharan’s ward residents will vote for him, citing his focus on development work. He argues that voters will choose him over Goma, whom he describes as a “viral candidate” who, he claims, is relying more on publicity than performance.
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