Twenty-two-year-old Santosh Gurung of Ichchhakamana Village Council, one of the remote parts of Chitwan district, is eager to cast his vote for the first time in the local body elections.  

“I don’t know how to cast vote in the local level elections, but I will learn and go to the voting booth at Mayatar in Kaule. 

It takes more than three hours to reach Mayatar from my home, but I am determined to vote this time,” he said. 

Like Santosh, all villagers in Ichchhakamana are waiting to cast their votes in the elections. 

“There’s no electricity in our village. We hope that the leader who wins the election will develop our village,” said 77-year-old Sitaram Chepang. 

Despite the enthusiasm shown by the people to take part in the elections, they do not know which party or whom to cast their votes. Not a single political party has mobilised their cadres to Ichchhakamana so far.

“No one has come asking for our votes since the second Constituent Assembly 

election,” said Kamal Bahadur Chepang. 

“I am ready to cast vote to bring development in my impoverished village,” he added.

Ichchhakamana Village Council was formed incorporating Darechok, Chandibhanjyang, Kaule and Dahakhani villages. 

The place is still under extreme poverty, without proper roads, drinking water facilities and access to schools and health centres.