KATHMANDU, Jan 21: Sharat Singh Bhandari, who has filed his candidacy from Mahottari-2 for this year’s House of Representatives (HoR) election, is a veteran politician whose career spans more than four decades. Since 2038 BS, Bhandari has been a constant presence in Nepalese elections, making this his 10th run. Of his nine previous contests, he has emerged victorious six times and lost three.
Over the years, Bhandari has contested under multiple parties, and this time he is fielding his candidacy under the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal.
Sources close to Bhandari say he first won a seat in the then-Rastriya Panchayat Sadashya in 2038 BS from Mahottari. His second victory came in 2043 BS, again from Mahottari-2, also to the Rastriya Panchayat Sadashya.
Sharat Singh Bhandari becomes minister for the 20th time!
Following the political changes of 2046 BS, Bhandari never missed an election. In 2048 BS, he ran from Mahottari-5 under the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) but lost with 9,454 votes. In the 2051 BS mid-term House election, he ran as an independent from Mahottari-4 and won 11,395 votes.
In 2056 BS, after joining the Nepali Congress, he was fielded from Mahottari-5 and won with 20,486 votes. In 2064 BS, he moved to the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum and contested the first Constituent Assembly election from Mahottari-6, receiving 12,194 votes but losing.
Bhandari’s next attempt, in 2070 BS, saw him contest from two constituencies—Mahottari-6 and Mahottari-1—under the Rastriya Madhesh Samajbadi Party, but he was defeated in both, securing 7,049 and 6,660 votes, respectively.
In 2074 BS, he won Mahottari-2 under the Rastriya Janata Party (RJP) with 30,722 votes, and in 2079 BS, after joining the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party (LSP), he retained the same seat.
But Bhandari’s legacy extends beyond elections. He has served as a minister 20 times, setting a remarkable record. His ministerial career began in 2043 BS as Deputy Minister for Panchayat and Local Development under Marichman Singh Shrestha’s government.
Over the years, he has held diverse portfolios, including Youth, Sports, and Culture; Health; Tourism and Civil Aviation; Defence; Energy, Irrigation, and Water Resources; and Labour, Employment, and Social Security. He has served under governments led by Marichman Singh Shrestha, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Madhav Kumar Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai, KP Sharma Oli, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
Bhandari’s remarkable political journey has made him a familiar face in Nepalese politics—always contesting, always returning to serve, and continuously shaping the country’s governance for more than 40 years.
Similarly, Prithvi Subba Gurung, contesting from Lamjung under the CPN-UML this year, has also been a regular contender since 2043 BS, making this his ninth run.
