By Devram Prasad Yadav

Saptari, Jan. 6: Two brothers from the same family in Saptari district are in the fierce race to win a seat in the National Assembly Memeber elections slated for January 23.
Mrigendra Kumar Singh Yadav and Anirudh Prasad Singh Yadav from Bodebarsain Municipality Ward Number 5 filed their nomintaion in the State Capital of Janakpur on Sunday to be elected as the Upper House member from two different parties under the Other category.
The former, who is the eleder brother, is a candidate from Rastriya Janata Party Nepal while the latter is contesting the election from Samajbadi Party Nepal.
RJP Nepal has formed an election coalition with the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and the SP Nepal is the coalition partrner of the main opposition, the Nepali Congress.
Another interesting fact is that they had contested from the same Saptari Constuency Number 6 in the second Constituent Assembly elections held in November, 2013.
The elder brother was then the contender from the Bijay Gachchhadar-led then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) while younger brother was the candidate from the Upendra Yadav-led then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Nepal.
At that time, Nepali Congress’s candidate Surendra Prasad Yadav had clinched the victroy taking advantage of the rivarly between the two brothers.
In the previous federal elections held in 2017, the elder brother had lost to Nepali Congress’s sitting lawmaker Teju Lal Chaudhary from Constituency Number 4. During the 2017 elections, the younger brother was not in the race.
During the election, Yadav was the candidate from the election coalition of the Sanghiy Samajbadi Party Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal.
The bothers hail from the old landlord-cum-political family of the district. Their father Satrughan Prasad Singh Yadav was once assistant minister in the Panchaya era in 1979.
Chiefs and deputy chiefs of local bodies and members of the State Assembly are eligible for casting votes in the January 23 elections.
Since the NCP-RJP allaince has more voters than those of the NC-SP coalition in the State, the elder brother is expected to win the election.
According to observers in the district, If the younger brother could incfluence some voters of his own district only, he would win the election against his elder brother.