Tikapur municipality faces leadership vacuum amid acting mayor uncertainty

Dhangadhi: Tikapur Municipality in Kailali currently remains without leadership following the resignation of Mayor Ramlal Dagaura, who stepped down to contest the Kailali-1 House of Representatives election on behalf of the Nepal Communist Party. Complicating the situation, Deputy Mayor Khadak Shah has been suspended due to a corruption case, leaving the municipality without a clear acting mayor.

Under the Local Government Operation Act, the municipal executive is responsible for appointing an acting mayor in such circumstances. However, no executive meeting has been held yet, and Tikapur’s 17-member executive has not designated anyone to assume the role.

Municipal employees report that the absence of both the mayor and deputy mayor has disrupted decisions related to the local health board, assistance for disadvantaged groups, and appeals concerning house plans. Critical policy-making, program implementation, and monitoring have also been affected.

Chief Administrative Officer Suman Dhital stated that regular municipal operations have not been significantly impacted so far, noting, “There is no need for immediate policy decisions at this time, and the municipal assembly has just concluded.” However, the work of the judicial committee remains affected due to Deputy Mayor Shah’s suspension, which has been in effect for about two years following a CIAA investigation into the Tikapur Municipal Development Committee land scam case.

Competition for Acting Mayor Position
The Nepal Communist Party currently holds a majority in the municipal executive with 11 of the 17 seats, including seven from the Civil Liberties Union and four from the former Maoists. The remaining seats include five from the Nepali Congress and one from the CPN-UML. Among the nine ward chairmen, three each are from the former Maoists and Congress, two from the Civil Liberties Union, and one from the UML.

According to executive members, Ward No. 7 Chair Yagya Neupane, Ward No. 4 Chair Lalbir Chaudhary, and senior executive member Ram Bahadur Nagarjee are vying for the acting mayor position. Neupane is a former Maoist, Chaudhary is from the Civil Liberties Union, and Nagarjee represents the Congress.

Historically, Tikapur’s House of Representatives constituency No. 1 has experienced prolonged leadership gaps. In 2074 BS, the seat remained vacant for five years after Resham Lal Chaudhary, who was on the run following the Tharuhat movement, won the election but later surrendered and was sent to prison.