KATHMANDU, Feb 7: With 27 days remaining until the House of Representatives (HoR) election, party and independent candidates are actively trying to sway results in their favour. Although the Election Commission (EC) has officially allowed election campaigns only from the first week of Falgun, candidates are already engaging with voters through door-to-door visits and social media, working to maintain or overturn previous election outcomes.
Electoral intensity is rising not just in Kathmandu, the federal capital, but also in remote districts. In the 10 constituencies of Kathmandu, both veteran and new party candidates, as well as independents, have begun showing electoral activity.
In the last election (November 2022), Kathmandu’s 10 seats were won by Nepali Congress (5), Rastriya Swatantra Party (4), and CPN-UML (1). Now, NC, RSP, and UML are working to retain their seats, while parties like Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and Nepal Communist Party (NCP) aim to overturn previous results, making the contest increasingly competitive. Below is a look at the race in Kathmandu constituencies 1 to 5.
Kathmandu–1: A race without Singh
NC leader Prakash Man Singh, elected continuously from this constituency since 2064 BS (2007), is not contesting this time. NC has fielded Prabal Thapa, a Central Committee member. His competitors include RPP’s Ravindra Mishra, UML’s Mohan Raj Regmi, NCP’s Menuka Bhandari, RSP’s Ranju Darshana, and candidates from smaller parties.
Rabindra Mishra lost to Singh by 125 votes in the 2022 election, having previously been defeated by him in 2074 BS. Ranju Darshana, who previously ran in Kathmandu–5, is now contesting Kathmandu–1 under RSP. With 48,489 registered voters, all parties are treating this constituency as a matter of prestige.
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Kathmandu–2: Mix of old and new faces
Located in the northeastern part of Kathmandu, this constituency has voters who often choose different candidates each election. Sixteen candidates from various parties and independents are contesting.
UML has fielded Maniram Phuyal, RPP Kuntidevi Pokharel, NC Kabir Sharma, RSP Sunil KC, and NCP Nitesh Paudel. In the last election, RSP’s Sobita Gautam won with 15,238 votes, defeating UML’s Phuyal (11,566) and RPP’s Pokharel (11,024). NC and the then Maoist Center joint candidate, former speaker Onsari Gharti, received 9,459 votes.
This area includes parts of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Kageshwari-Manohara Municipality, and Shankharapur Municipality.
Kathmandu–3: Ghising adds excitement
Kathmandu–3 covers areas including Shivapuri, Bagdwar, and Sundarijal, known for water supply issues. Kulman Ghising, former NEA chief credited for ending load-shedding, has entered the race with his own party, drawing attention.
Other candidates include NC's Ramesh Aryal, UML’s Rameshwar Phuyal, RSP’s Rajunath Pandey, NCP’s Niraj Lama, and RPP’s Sundar Singh Bohara. With 64,479 voters, Ghising’s candidacy is adding competitiveness to this traditionally strong political area.
Kathmandu–4: NC veteran Gagan Thapa steps aside
Kathmandu–4, previously held by NC President Gagan Kumar Thapa, is seeing new contenders as Thapa contests from Sarlahi–4, being projected as a future prime ministerial candidate. NC has fielded Sachin Timalsina, while UML has fielded Rajan Bhattarai, contesting here for the third time.
In the 2022 election, Thapa won with 21,302 votes, defeating Bhattarai (13,855 votes). The constituency includes parts of Budhanilkantha Municipality and Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Kathmandu–5: Old guards vs new faces
This constituency features a mix of old and new political faces. NC candidate Pradeep Paudel, UML’s Ishwar Pokharel, and RPP’s Kamal Thapa are major contestants. They face competition from RSP’s Sasmit Pokharel, UNEP’s Shriram Gurung, NCP’s Kalpana Sharma, and candidates from smaller parties.
In 2022, NC’s Paudel won with 15,269 votes, defeating UML’s Pokharel (10,190 votes). RSP, RPP, and independent candidates also participated, making this a tightly contested constituency with 78,114 voters.
