By Nava Thakuria*
Four Ex-PMs in Fray as Nepal Readies for National Vote
Nepal is once again standing on the threshold of national elections. Scheduled for 5 March, these polls have become necessary following the political upheaval of September 2025, when youth-led protests reached their peak, and the government of KP Sharma Oli was toppled. The Himalayan nation last held general elections in 2022, with the next scheduled for 2027. However, after the dissolution of Parliament last year, the electoral process was initiated under the supervision of an interim government headed by retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki.
With a population of around 29 million, predominantly Hindu, the upcoming elections promise a fascinating political contest. Four former prime ministers are preparing to enter the fray, while three current mayors are also hoping to test their political fortunes. Ousted former Prime Minister and Nepal Communist Party (UML) leader KP Sharma Oli will contest from the Jhapa-5 parliamentary seat. He will face off against former Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, who recently resigned as mayor to join the newly formed National Independent Party.
Balendra Shah, an engineer-turned-rapper-turned-politician, was one of the prominent faces of last year’s anti-government movements. Local political analysts believe the contest will not be an easy one for Oli, who has served as prime minister four times. Recently, Oli alleged that foreign powers played a role in toppling his government in Kathmandu, inciting Nepali citizens. He claimed that the uprising—which resulted in the deaths of 77 citizens and damage to approximately NPR 8.4 billion in government and private property—was not spontaneous but carefully orchestrated.
Oli also suggested that, following Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Nepal had been targeted by elements aiming to destabilise democracy in South Asia. Over the years, he has made several India-critical remarks and questioned New Delhi’s foreign policy towards Nepal, even as the country shares a border with Tibet, now under Chinese administration.
Other former prime ministers entering the electoral arena include Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also known as Prachanda, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre); Baburam Bhattarai of the Progressive Democratic Party; and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Nepali Communist Party.
However, two former prime ministers—Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress and Khil Raj Regmi of the NCP—have decided not to contest. Deuba, facing internal party divisions, chose to step back from electoral politics. Among the mayors entering national politics are Balendra Shah, Harka Sampang, mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City, and Renu Dahal, mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, who is notably the daughter of Maoist leader Prachanda.
Hardline communist leader Prachanda played a decisive role in ending Nepal’s centuries-old Hindu monarchy in 2008. The country’s last king, Gyanendra Shah, now an ordinary citizen, recently criticised Nepal’s political leadership on foreign policy matters. Addressing the nation on the 304th birth anniversary of his ancestor, Prithvi Narayan Shah, and National Unity Day, the former monarch said that over the past two decades, political leadership had repeatedly led the country into crisis, pursuing unbalanced foreign policies against national interests.
Meanwhile, responding to requests from the Nepalese government and political parties, India continues to provide electoral assistance. Recently, the world’s largest democracy handed over more than 60 vehicles and other materials to Kathmandu to support election preparations. Nepal’s Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal formally received the assistance from Indian diplomat Rakesh Pandey. According to leading Nepalese daily The Kathmandu Post, Minister Aryal expressed gratitude to India, noting that the gesture reflects the depth of trust and friendship between the two neighbours. India has been supporting Nepal’s elections since 2008 and plans to provide over 600 vehicles for this cycle.
*Senior journalist
