Achham, Feb. 23 -- Junichande Rural Municipality in Jajarkot district is the poorest among Nepal's 753 local units, according to government statistics. For 24-year-old Neera Shahi of ward 6 of the rural municipality, that label is not just a statistic but a harsh reality.

Currently studying for a Diploma in Pharmacy at Mangalsen Polytechnic Institute in Achham, Shahi finds herself torn between professional ambition and the grim prospects of her home village. The upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5 will be her first opportunity to vote.

"I am learning which medicines to prescribe. But which election will bring the medicine to cure my village's remoteness and poverty?" Neera said this week while talking to the Post. "We...