Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also the President of Nepali Congress, has won a record seventh time in the parliamentary election held earlier this week.
Sunday’s polls were the second parliamentary elections after Nepal promulgated the new constitution in 2015 that enshrined the Himalayan nation as a federal, secular and republic country.
As per the Election Commission, Deuba has been re-elected from Dadeldhura defeating the independent candidate, Sagar Dhakal.
An Oxford University graduate, Dhakal threw his hat against Deuba to unseat him saying that time has come to rule by youth and new breeds.
Deuba secured 25,534 votes to secure the lone Dadeldhura seat, while Dhakal won 13,042.
The 76-year-old premier was earlier elected a House of Representatives member from the same constituency in the 2017 general elections.
He has been winning the parliamentary elections from Dadeldhura since 1991 and remain undefeated for record seven times.
New political party emerges in Nepal
New political party emerges in Nepal
Kathmandu, Nov 23 (IANS) The National Independent Party, or Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by TV host-turned politician Rabi Lamichhane, is emerging as a new political force in Nepal following the federal and provincial elections held earlier this week.
According to preliminary results, the party is likely to win considerable seats under the proportional representation which is dubbed as huge disenchantment against the established political forces.
It has already won three seats in Kathmandu Valley and is leading in at least five federal constituencies, Chitwan represented by Lamichhane.
Although the elections on Sunday were held in 165 federal constituencies, no political party has contested in all electoral constituencies.
But the RSP that is against the idea of federalism, has not contested the elections in provincial parliament.
Ruling party Nepali Congress is leading the overall tally in both federal and provincial constituencies.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has won the election from his home constituency, Dadheldura, for a record seventh time in a row.
He was challenged Sagar Dhakal, an independent candidate.
The CPN-UML is trailing behind Nepali Congress in the overall tally, whereas the RSP is in third position.
The CPN (Maoist Center) has not won a single seat as of Wednesday, but is leading in 16 constituencies.
The RSP is trailing behind Nepali Congress and UML in vote under the proportional representation too.
Lamichhane, who used to run a popular television program in Nepal, has raised his voice against corruption, mismanagement, bad governance, plights of the migrant workers working in the Gulf and Malaysia and holes created by the mainstream political parties.
“We have not decided to join the government but we are encouraged and thrilled by the votes we received, said Lamichanne. Nation needs a strong opposition,” said Lamichanne in an interview.
If the current trend continues, the RSP will win at least 20 in federal parliament.
