Kathmandu, March 8: In the recent parliamentary elections in Nepal, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has not only achieved political success but has also set a remarkable example in women’s representation. Out of the 16 female candidates fielded by the party, 13 emerged victorious, marking a significant milestone in Nepal’s electoral politics.
Political parties have often been criticized for placing women in constituencies with low chances of winning, but the RSP’s results challenge this perception. According to The Kathmandu Post, the party’s female candidates received overwhelming public support, with many winners defeating their opponents by large margins. This outcome indicates a growing positive attitude among voters towards female leadership.
However, the party did face setbacks in three constituencies. Binita Khatayat lost to Gyanendra Shahi of the RSP in Jumla, while Sarin Tamang was defeated by Harka Raj Rai of the Labour Culture Party in Sunsari-1. Tashi Lhanzom finished fourth in Humla.
Among the notable victories was Ranjoo Darshana, who secured 15,455 votes in Kathmandu-1, defeating prominent candidate Thapa Chhetri of the Nepali Congress by a significant margin. Similarly, Tosima Karki retained her seat in Lalitpur-3 with 43,096 votes, surpassing candidates from the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).
Another significant win was achieved by Sobita Gautam, who, after representing Kathmandu-2 in 2022, garnered 59,277 votes from Chitwan-3, defeating former mayor Renu Dahal of UML.
In Morang-6, Rubina Acharya, an MBA graduate from Kathmandu University, won with 55,513 votes, while Asha Jha, a public health graduate, defeated her Congress opponent by over 20,000 votes in Morang-5.
The RSP also celebrated two key victories in Jhapa, with Nisha Dangi winning 45,680 votes in Jhapa-1 and Indira Nagar Maga defeating her UML opponent by a large margin in Jhapa-2.
These results clearly indicate that the role of women in Nepal’s new politics is rapidly increasing. The success of RSP’s female candidates not only reflects the party’s organizational growth but also shows that Nepali voters are more ready than ever to embrace new faces and female leadership.