NC’s Gagan Thapa wins in Kathmandu-4

Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has been elected from Kathmandu-4 for the third time in a row. Thapa defeated Rajan Bhattarai of the CPN-UML to emerge victorious. He had defeated Bhattarai in 2017 also. The former Health Minister secured 21, 302 votes while his closest contender Bhattarai garnered 13, 875 votes. Similarly, Sankar Mohan Shrestha of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party got 4, 050 votes.

NC’s Prakash Man Singh emerges victorious from Kathmandu-1

Nepali Congress leader Prakashman Singh has been elected from Kathmandu constituency-1 for the fourth time in a row. Son of Ganeshman Singh, a freedom fighter and the supreme commander of the 1990 popular movement, Prakashman Singh has been able to carry on with his father's political legacy. Singh was previously elected from the same constituency in the elections of 2064, 2070 and 2074. Singh entered politics as a general member of the Congress and has held the responsibilities of Kathmandu district president, central member, general secretary and vice president of the party.  He was also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development in the then Sushil Koirala-led government. He was born in the year 2012 BS in Chhetrapati, Kathmandu and holds a master's degree. Singh became the president of the Nepal Students' Association in 2036 and remained active in central politics. Singh was elected to the parliament this year with 7,140 votes. He got better of Mishra for the second time in a row, but with a lesser margin of 129 votes this time. Mishra got 10,111 votes. In the previous election in 2074, Singh had defeated Mishra by 818 votes.

Netherlands down Senegal and Wales-USA play out 1-1 draw

Wales captain Gareth Bale converted a penalty in the 82nd minute as the Welsh Dragons walked away with a point against a buoyant USA side, The Indian Express reported. Earlier, Timothy Weah rained on the Welsh party as his lone goal separated the side after the first half. A young and buoyant USA team outclassed and outran a ragged Wales side as Gareth Bale’s team struggled to get a foothold into the match. A smart pass by Christian Pulisic sent Weah on his way as he slid the ball past an advancing goalie to give his team something to cheer about. In the last match, rising star Cody Gakpo saved Netherlands’ blushes as his lone goal around the 85th minute helped the Dutch scrape past a very game Senegal. With Senegal pushing deeper and deeper, De Jong had hold of the ball, unchallenged, at the edge of the final third before seeing Gakpo’s run before anyone else on the pitch, and playing in a brilliantly-weighted, curling, teasing cross which resulted in the headed goal, according to The Indian Express. The match was well and beyond Senegal when Davy Klaassen put the ball past keeper Mendy right at the death.

World Cup 202: England beat Iran 6-2

England started their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign with an emphatic 6-2 win over Iran in their opening Group B match, Times of India reported. A brace from Bukayo Saka and strikes by Jude Bellingham and Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish helped England complete the rout. Mehdi Taremi also scored a brace for Iran including a consolation goal from the penalty spot in the dying seconds.

Anti-incumbency forces challenge Nepal’s old parties

Vote counting for the Nov 20 elections is underway across 165 constituencies. And if the preliminary count is anything to go by, independent and new party candidates are likely to give old established parties the run for their money. As of Nov 21 evening, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a new party led by former TV host Rabi Lamichhane, was ahead in several constituencies including in Kathmandu Valley. Nepali Congress was leading in more than three dozen constituencies, CPN-UML in 18, and RSP in eight. For a new party like the RSP, to hit the ground running like this suggests that major political parties can no longer rely on their traditional voter base to win their elections. There was a time when elections used to be a three-horse race between Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Center). In Madhes Province, these three parties compete against the Madhes-based parties. Not anymore. New parties and independent and RSP candidates are posing tough challenges to the ‘heavyweights’ of old political parties. Similarly, young faces of major political parties are leading in several constituencies. These two trends clearly give a strong message: people are frustrated with old faces and they want to see new faces at the helm of politics. Major parties NC and UML are unlikely to face a major loss in this election but it serves as a big warning to them to mend their ways. NC is likely to emerge as the largest party from elections followed by CPN-UML. Preliminary counting shows Maoist party is unlikely to fare well in the urban areas. The party is likely to win seats in the mid-west, Madhes, and in the hilly district. Nepal’s Nov 20 parliamentary and provincial assembly elections registered a voter turnout of 61 percent, 7 percent below than 2017 national elections. In every election after 2008, a new trend is emerging. In 2008, the former rebel Maoist party unexpectedly emerged as the largest party. In the second Constituent Assembly elections held in 2013, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party, a royalist party, secured 25 seats in the Constituent Assembly. In 2017, parliamentary elections then left the alliance of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Center) secured almost two-thirds votes. This time, RSP and some independent candidates are likely to make their presence in the national parliament.

NC's Bikal Sherchan wins in Mustang-1 (B)

Nepali Congress candidate for the Provincial Assembly election from Mustang constituency- 1 (B) Bikal Sherchan has won the election. Sherchan defeated his closest contender Chandra Mohan Gauchan of CPN-UML with the margin of 158 votes. Sherchan got 2,723 votes while his Gauchan garnered 2,565 votes. The District Committee Chairman of the CPN-UML Gauchan was elected the Province Assembly member of Gandaki in the last election. The NC candidates have won the elections to House of Representatives (HoR) and Provincial Assembly in Mustang district.

Janamat Party Chair CK Raut leading in Saptari-2

Janamat Party Chair CK Raut is leading the vote count in Saptari-2. So far, Raut has secured 1, 202 votes while Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav has garnered 452 votes. Similarly, Jaya Prakash Thakuri of Democratic Socialist Party has obtained 308 votes, the Office of the Chief Election Officer said.

Kathmandu-4: NC’s Gagan Thapa ahead in vote count

Gagan Thapa of Nepali Congress is leading the vote count in Kathmandu-4. As of 12 pm, Thapa has garnered 668 votes. Rajan Bhattarai of CPN-UML is trailing behind with 633 votes. Thirty people had filed their candidacies in this constituency. Of them, 13 are independent candidates.