RSP rides reform wave, old guard digs in ahead of Nepal’s elections

Nepal's upcoming elections test traditional parties as the RSP gains momentum amid widespread voter discontent and calls for change.

Political parties in Nepal have launched campaigns for the March 5 parliamentary elections, necessitated by last September’s Gen Z protests.

The Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest party, kicked off its campaign rally from Janakpur in Madhesh, a province bordering India, on February 18, as it seeks to reclaim its clout in the region. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a relatively new force in Nepal that rose from the 2022 elections, organised its election gathering in Dhangadhi, a city in Nepal’s far-western region.

Various other parties have scheduled their programmes, with the vote just two weeks away.

The coming elections are seen as a litmus test for Nepal’s traditional parties, which have drawn scorn from various quarters for their failures, despite ruling the country for the last three decades. Change is the common refrain among voters, but there is little clarity as to what exactly that means, except for one apparent issue that stands out — there is palpable frustration with the old parties.

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Tanka Lama, from Ramechhap, a district around 150 km east of Kathmandu, says it’s time Nepalis voted for a party other than the Nepali Congress or the Communist Party of Nepal-UML. “I had plans to vote for the RSP, but since Balendra Shah has joined the party as its PM candidate, I have changed my mind,” said Mr. Lama, 25, who drives a taxi in Kathmandu. “I will probably vote for Ujyalo [Nepal Party].”