Harka Raj Rai

Harka Raj Sampang Rai (or Harka Sampang; Nepali: हर्कराज साम्पाङ राई) is a Nepalese politician and the current mayor of Dharan.[1][2][3] Rai is also a social activist.[4][5] He has been elected as an independent candidate for the post Mayor, having 'Walking stick/Lauro' as the electoral symbol via the 2022 local election.[6][7] He defeated Nepali Congress candidate Kishore Rai by receiving 20,821 votes.[8][9] Harka Sampang Rai has been alleged for promoting religious and ethnic extremism.

Honourable
Mayor
Harka Raj Rai
हर्कराज राई
6th Mayor of Dharan
Assumed office
23 May 2022
DeputyAindra Bikram Begha
Preceded byTilak Rai
Personal details
Born1983 (age 39–40)
Khartamchha, Khotang, Nepal
Political partyIndependent
ParentTil Bikram Rai (father)
Profession

Early life and education

Rai was born in Khartamchha, Khotang which is in present-day Kepilasgadhi rural municipality. His father was a former British Gurkha soldier. He moved to Dharan in 1998 after completing his SLC examinations to pursue higher education.[10] He graduated in Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English and Political Science from. Mahendra Multiple Campus in Dharan and started work as a tutor.[11] After completing his higher education he had gone to Iraq and Afghanistan for employment.[12][13]

Political career

Rai contested the 2019 by-elections for the mayor of Dharan as an independent but only managed to get 422 votes.[12] He again contested for the post of mayor at the 2022 elections still as an independent and was elected after getting a vote share of 39.8%.[1]

Activism

After six years working abroad he returned to Dharan and opened the National Unity Network to protest against corruption. He was also involved in protests against tax raises, illegal sand extraction from rivers and the water scarcity in Dharan.[13] In 2016, Rai became the coordinator of people displaced by the expansion of the Madan Bhandari Inner Terai Highway.[12][11]

Electoral history

2022 Dharan municipal election
Mayoral elections result
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Harka Raj Rai 20,821 39.8% +39.0%
Nepali Congress Kishore Rai 16,051 30.7% -19.0%
CPN (UML) Manju Bhandari Subedi 12,825 24.5% -20%
RPP Naresh Kumar Shakya 1,488 2.8% +2.5%
Others 1,142 2.2%
Total votes 52,335 100.0%
Rejected ballots 10,562
Turnout 62,897
Registered electors 100,324
Independent gain from Nepali Congress Swing +29.0%

References
  1. "Independent candidate Harka Raj Rai elected mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City". The Kathmandu Post.
  2. "धरानका मेयरको घोषणा- मोटरसाइकल नै चढ्छु". Naya Patrika.
  3. "Harka Sampang's drive for drinking water in Dharan: By people, for people - OnlineKhabar English News". 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  4. "हर्क साम्पाङमाथि पहिले लाठीचार्ज, अहिले फूल र अबिरको वर्षा". Kantipur (daily) (in Nepali).
  5. "पानी अभियन्ता हर्कराज साम्पाङ राई बने धरानको मेयर, पाए २०८२१ मत". ekagaj.
  6. "Independent candidate Harka Sampang becomes Dharan Mayor". Khabarhub.
  7. "हर्कराज साम्पाङ : धरानको खानेपानीले जन्माएको ज्याद्रो 'स्वतन्त्र'". nepalkhabar (in Nepali). 3 June 2019.
  8. "को हुन् धरानमा एमालेको गढ भत्काउने स्वतन्त्रका साम्पाङ". Annapurna Post.
  9. "धरानको मेयरमा स्वतन्त्र उम्मेदवार हर्क साम्पाङ निर्वाचित". Online Khabar.
  10. "हर्क साम्पाङ् जसले धरानको तिर्खा मेट्ने लक्ष्य राखेका छन्". BBC News नेपाली (in Nepali).
  11. Setopati, राजु अधिकारी. "हर्क साम्पाङ- अ रेभुलुसन". Setopati. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  12. धरान, रोहित राई. "को हुन् धरानका 'वेटिङ मेयर' हर्कराज राई साम्पाङ?". nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com.
  13. "धरानवासीले किन पत्याए हर्क साम्पाङलाई?". Himal Khabar. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
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