Surkhet, Jan. 26 -- A fierce electoral contest has emerged in the Himalayan district of Humla, where four first-time parliamentary candidates from major political parties are vying for victory in the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.

The race features Jayapati Rokaya of the Nepali Congress, Dal Phadera of the CPN-UML, Dipendra Rokaya of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), and 26-year-old Tashi Lhazom of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). All candidates are new to federal parliamentary elections, adding to the intensity and unpredictability of the contest.

Congress has fielded former district party president Jayapati Rokaya, a long-time party organiser who began his political career with the Nepal Students' Union in...