The Hot Seat – Sarlahi 6

There were plenty of interesting constituencies this elections. Sujata – Upendra Yadav was fun, as was Narhari Acharya – Ishwor Pokhrel. To me the most exciting was, however, Sarlahi 6 with Mahanta Thakur up against Amaresh Singh. Way too many factors in place. The mentor vs. the pupil factor is obviously there. Then there is the Indian embassy’s blessings, which has become increasingly difficult to say where it falls. The government and security forces openly help Amaresh, not a surprise. It is rumored that Amaresh brought in a hundred Indian thugs even after the borders were sealed. Also rumored is that bombs were being made in his house, an accusation common with many NC bigwigs who have won in the Terai. They are also said to have the tacit support of armed groups depending on local power dynamics.

For more on the background and context of Sarlahi 6 and the candidates: Nepali Times (the second blurb)
And Sarlahi was hellfire during the first round – candidate shot dead (by the police?), multiple bomb explosions, chaos. Now that the re-polling has been completed, let the counting begin.