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Gagan Thapa Defeated by Ex-Congressman in Nepal's Political Shakeup

Nepali Congress President and prime ministerial candidate Gagan Thapa has been defeated in the parliamentary elections from Sarlahi-4 constituency. He lost to Amaresh Kumar Singh, a former lawmaker from his own party who now represents the surging Rastriya Swatantra Party. The defeat adds to the losses suffered by traditional political parties against this new political force. Singh, who holds a PhD, had previously won from the area but was contesting this election under a new party banner after being denied a ticket by the Congress.

Key Points: Nepali Congress Chief Gagan Thapa Loses Election

  • Thapa loses Sarlahi-4 seat
  • Rastriya Swatantra Party makes major gains
  • Singh is a former Nepali Congress MP
  • Traditional parties face electoral battering
  • Defeat in party's traditional stronghold
2 min read

Nepali Congress chief Gagan Thapa another heavyweight to suffer defeat

Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa suffers defeat to Amaresh Kumar Singh of Rastriya Swatantra Party in Sarlahi-4, signaling a major political shift.

"adding to the long list of heavyweight leaders to suffer a similar fate"

Kathmandu, March 8

Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of Amaresh Kumar Singh of the all-conquering Rastriya Swatantra Party in this year's parliamentary elections.

The party's prime ministerial candidate, Thapa, secured 22,831 votes in the polls held in Sarlahi-4 in Madhesh Province, against 35,688 votes polled by Singh, adding to the long list of heavyweight leaders to suffer a similar fate.

Elected as president of the party just in January this year through the controversially held Special General Convention, Thapa was not only expected to win but also to lead the party to better electoral prospects.

But traditional political parties, including the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) or CPN (UML), and the Nepali Communist Party, are all facing a battering from the relatively new political force that has already secured over a century of seats out of 165 under the First-Past-the-Post system while still leading in the majority of seats.

Thapa had given his candidacy from Sarlahi-4, a traditional stronghold of the grand old party, after giving up his long-time constituency of Kathmandu-4, but suffered defeat at the hands of a former lawmaker from his own political party.

For a long period, Amaresh Kumar Singh served in the Nepali Congress after being appointed a member of parliament in the reinstated House of Representatives in 2006 by then Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala following the 2006 People's Movement that ended the rule of then King Gyanendra Shah.

He won the Constituent Assembly elections in 2013 from Sarlahi-6 and participated in the constitution-making process. He later contested the parliamentary elections in 2017 from Sarlahi-4, representing the Nepali Congress, and won.

He was also elected to the lower house in 2022 as an independent candidate after the Nepali Congress refused to give him a ticket.

Just before the 2026 elections, Singh joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party and won the election from Sarlahi-4 by defeating his one-time leader, Thapa.

Singh holds a PhD in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very surprising result. Gagan Thapa was seen as a young, dynamic leader. Maybe leaving his safe seat in Kathmandu was a strategic blunder. Voters in Sarlahi have sent a strong message to the established leadership.
A
Aman W
From an Indian perspective, it's interesting to see the parallels. Voters everywhere are frustrated with traditional politics. The fact that Singh was once in NC and then won as an independent before joining RSP shows how fluid loyalties are now. Jai Nepal!
S
Sarah B
While change is good, I hope it leads to stability. Nepal needs a strong government for development, especially with its close ties to India. Amaresh Kumar Singh's academic background in IR from JNU is promising for handling foreign policy.
V
Vikram M
Respectfully, I think the article glosses over the internal issues. Thapa became president through a "controversial" convention in January. If the party foundation is weak, how can you expect to win an election? The NC needs to put its own house in order first.
K
Kriti O
Wow, losing in your party's traditional stronghold must hurt. It shows local connect matters more than national stature sometimes. Singh was already a known face there from 2017. Lesson for all politicians: don't take any constituency for granted! 👍

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