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Prachanda Wins Nepal Election as Oli and Gagan Thapa Face Defeat

Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has been elected to Nepal's House of Representatives from the Rukum East-1 constituency. His victory comes as other major traditional party leaders, including K P Sharma Oli and Gagan Thapa, are trailing behind candidates from newer parties like the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Prachanda's win occurred in a former Maoist rebel stronghold, a safer constituency than the one he abandoned. Despite the continued decline of his party's strength, Prachanda remains a central and indispensable figure in Nepal's political landscape.

Key Points: Prachanda Wins Nepal Seat as Major Parties Trail

  • Prachanda wins from Rukum East-1
  • Oli and Gagan Thapa trailing
  • Traditional parties fare poorly
  • Victory in former Maoist stronghold
2 min read

Nepal elections: Prachanda wins as Oli and Gagan Thapa trail

Former PM Prachanda wins Nepal election from Rukum East-1, while K P Sharma Oli and Gagan Thapa trail behind new party candidates.

"Prachanda has remained an indispensable figure in national politics - Analysis"

Kathmandu, March 6

Former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has been elected from Rukum East-1 to the House of Representatives, becoming one of the few top leaders from traditional political parties to secure a win in the elections to the House of Representatives held on Thursday.

He secured 10,240 votes to win the election. His closest competitor, Lilamani Gautam of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), secured 3,462 votes, according to the Election Commission of Nepal.

Although Prachanda, coordinator of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) formed after the merger of the erstwhile Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist), won the election, his party, along with other traditional political parties such as the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, fared poorly in the polls.

Former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, chairperson of CPN-UML, and Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa are trailing candidates from the Rastriya Swatantra Party-Balen Shah and Amaresh Kumar Singh respectively. Prachanda, however, managed to secure a victory from the former Maoist rebels' stronghold.

Many critics blame him for abandoning Gorkha-2, from where he was elected in the 2022 election, allegedly out of fear of losing the seat, and instead contesting from Rukum East-1, which was considered a safer constituency.

Since entering mainstream politics through the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2006 by abandoning armed rebellion, Prachanda was first elected to the Constituent Assembly of Nepal in the 2008 elections from Kathmandu-10 and Rolpa-2. He later won the 2013 second Constituent Assembly election from Siraha-5. He won the first parliamentary elections held in 2017 after the promulgation of the new constitution from Chitwan-3. In 2022, he was elected from Gorkha-2.

National politics revolved around him during much of the armed conflict period (1996-2006). Even after his party entered peaceful politics, its agenda became a major factor in Nepal's mainstream politics.

Although he has overseen the continued decline of his party's strength since the 2008 elections, Prachanda has remained an indispensable figure in national politics, becoming prime minister several times in recent years with the backing of either the Nepali Congress or the CPN-UML.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The article mentions he left his old constituency for a safer seat. That's not a great look for a leader, is it? Shouldn't they face the people who elected them last time? Seems like political calculation over principle.
V
Vikram M
From armed rebellion to PM multiple times, his journey is quite something. But the fact that his party's strength has been declining since 2008 is the real story. He's surviving on alliances, not popular mandate. Oli and Thapa trailing to new faces is a wake-up call for the old guard.
P
Priya S
As an Indian, I just hope a stable government in Nepal helps strengthen our historical and cultural ties. The border and trade issues need calm leadership on both sides. Wishing our neighbours a smooth government formation process.
R
Rohit P
The youth in Nepal seem to be voting for change, just like we see in many states here. Gagan Thapa is considered a young leader but still trailing. The 'Balen Shah' wave is interesting. Maybe time for fresh ideas everywhere.
K
Karthik V
He won from Rukum East-1, a Maoist stronghold. So he went back to his core base when the going got tough. Smart move politically, but does it show a lack of confidence to expand his appeal? The article calls him "indispensable" but that might be more about deal-making than mass leadership.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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