All candidates challenging CPN-UML vice-chair Gokarna Bista in Gulmi-2 are newcomers. Bista, who has been contesting in the area since 1999, has won every election here except in 2008. This year marks his sixth contest, and he is facing first-time competitors for the fifth time.

Bista’s main rivals this election include Nepali Congress’s Lumbini Province vice-president Bhuwan Prasad Shrestha, Nepali Communist Party central committee member Shreeram Mahat, and Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Govinda Panthi. Overall, 22 candidates—10 from political parties and 12 independents—are in the fray.

Previously, Ram Kumari Jhankri of then CPN (Unified Socialist), now with the CPN-UML, contested with the support of the Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre). In 2022, Bista won the seat with 28,476 votes, defeating Jhankri by 2,035 votes, who had received 26,441 votes.

Bista’s electoral history shows consistent victories over Congress candidates. In 2017, he defeated Chandra KC by over 14,000 votes, and in 2013, he beat Trilokya Pratap Sen by more than 6,000 votes. His sole defeat came in 2008, when he lost to then CPN (Maoist) candidate Chandra Bahadur Thapa by 2,000 votes, with Congress’ Suresh Chandra Bhusal also in the race. In 1999, Bista entered parliament at 34 years and has served twice as a minister.

Looking at proportional votes from 2022, UML led with 25,130 votes in the constituency, followed by Congress with 18,451, the then CPN (Maoist Centre) with 5,437, and Rastriya Swatantra Party with 4,263 votes. With all the new challengers this year, the race in Gulmi-2 is expected to be closely watched.