Jhapa, Feb. 26 -- UML chair KP Sharma Oli, who has been elected for the federal parliament from Jhapa six times, used to treat his constituency as secure political turf. The former prime minister rarely needed to spend extended periods there during elections. A rally or two would suffice before he toured the country to campaign for fellow candidates of the party.

During the 2022 general elections, Oli famously addressed a gathering at Surunga in ward 3 of Kankai Municipality, stating that there were "no problems" in his constituency and that he was free to travel nationwide to secure victory for other UML candidates. Few doubted his political dominance in his home district of Jhapa.

This time, however, he faces a formidable challenge fr...