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Nepal Election Shocker: RSP Sweeps as Top Leaders Face Defeat

Nepal's parliamentary elections are witnessing a major upheaval as candidates from the new Rastriya Swatantra Party take significant leads against top leaders of traditional parties. Key figures like former PM K P Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa are trailing their RSP opponents by wide margins in their traditional strongholds. While former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal secured a victory, the overall trend shows a decisive voter shift away from established political forces. Analysts attribute this to deep anti-incumbency and public frustration with the lack of improvement in their lives under the old guard.

Key Points: Nepal Election: Traditional Party Leaders Face Major Defeat

  • RSP leads in 110 FPTP seats
  • Balen Shah leads against K P Sharma Oli
  • Gagan Thapa trails in Sarlahi-4
  • Pushpa Kamal Dahal wins in Rukum East
  • Voters reject traditional parties
3 min read

Nepal elections: Top leaders of traditional political parties stare at defeat

Rastriya Swatantra Party leads in Nepal elections as top leaders from Nepali Congress and CPN-UML trail. Results show voter revolt.

"people were tired of the same parties and the same leaders for years - Arun Subedi"

Kathmandu, March 6

Most of the top leaders of traditional political parties are facing a tough contest in the parliamentary elections, with candidates from the Rastriya Swatantra Party taking significant leads in two-thirds of the seats under the First-Past-the-Post system.

In Nepal's 275-member House of Representatives, 165 members are elected through the FPTP system, while 110 seats are filled through the proportional representation system. According to the latest data from the Election Commission Nepal, RSP candidates are currently leading in 110 seats, with the party already securing victories in three constituencies.

Based on vote counting till late Friday evening, Balen Shah, the RSP's prime ministerial candidate, is leading by a wide margin against former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli at the latter's traditional stronghold in Jhapa-5 in eastern Nepal.

According to the latest vote count, Shah has secured 13,694 votes, while Oli trails with 3011 votes.

Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa is also trailing RSP candidate Amaresh Kumar Singh in the Sarlahi-4 constituency.

Fresh from being elected party president through a special general convention held in January, Thapa was expected to make a strong showing in the parliamentary elections in what has traditionally been a Nepali Congress stronghold.

However, Singh, a former lawmaker from the Nepali Congress party, is ahead with 4496 votes, followed by Thapa with 2530 votes.

While top leaders of the two parties that were part of the government toppled by the GenZ movement in September last year are struggling in the polls, former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, coordinator of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), secured victory from Rukum East, his party's traditional stronghold in western Nepal. Dahal has been accused of abandoning Gorkha-2, from where he was elected in the 2022 elections, due to the higher risk of losing the seat.

Nepali Congress General Secretary Pradip Paudel is trailing RSP candidate Sasmit Pokharel from Kathmandu-5 by a wide margin. According to the latest vote tally, Pokharel has secured 18,051 votes, while Paudel has received only 5,627 votes.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and vice-chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), Bishnu Prasad Paudel, is also trailing RSP candidate Sulav Kharel by a wide margin. Kharel had secured 24,741 votes by Friday evening, while Paudel had received only 5,231 votes.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha of the NCP is also trailing RSP candidate Narendra Sah Kalwar in Sarlahi-3 in Madhesh Province by a wide margin. Kalwar has so far received 5,424 votes, followed by Shrestha with only 720 votes.

Voters appear to have overwhelmingly turned away from traditional political parties, whose seasoned as well as new leaders are facing setbacks.

"One of the main reasons behind the poor performance of traditional political parties is anti-incumbency, as people were tired of the same parties and the same leaders for years and did not see a marked improvement in their lives during their rule," political analyst Arun Subedi told IANS.

"Even though the Nepali Congress recently tried to forcefully change itself by electing new leadership through a special general convention, it had already become too late to convince voters of the party's transformation," he added.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Wow, Balen Shah leading against KP Oli in his own backyard! It reminds me of how new parties sometimes shake things up here too. Voters are clearly sending a message that they want change and accountability. Good lesson for all politicians.
R
Rohit P
While change is needed, I hope this doesn't lead to instability. Nepal has seen many governments in recent years. The new faces need to deliver on their promises, not just ride a wave of anger. The analyst is right about it being "too late" for the old parties to reform.
S
Sarah B
Interesting parallels to political shifts elsewhere. The "GenZ movement" mentioned seems to have had a lasting impact. When established leaders like Dahal abandon their constituencies to run somewhere safer, it tells you everything about their connection to the people.
V
Vikram M
As an Indian, I sincerely wish our Nepali brothers and sisters the best. A stable and prosperous Nepal is in everyone's interest. Hope the new leadership focuses on development and strengthens the historical and cultural bonds between our countries. 🙏
K
Kavya N
The margin of some of these leads is staggering! 24k votes vs 5k? This isn't just a slight shift, it's a wholesale rejection. It shows that when people finally make up their mind, they do it decisively. Time for some introspection for the old guard everywhere.

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