Both RSP and Janamat Party are new political forces that emerged as potential contenders to the old, established parties of Nepal. Their candidates were catapulted to the federal parliament in the general elections of November last year. And the early vote count trend suggests that their ascension is yet to reach its peak.
At Monday’s parliamentary party meeting, NC leader Deuba also said that the party needs to improve and introduce programs that touch the people. In essence, it was a retrospection without remorse. Deuba made the right judgment when he said that the people had lost their interest in major political parties. But was it a case of too little, too late? After all, his party was handed a serious electoral beating at its own stronghold in Tanahun-1, the constituency of President Ram Chandra Poudel, a former Congress party leader. Also of note was the fact that the NC candidate got routed despite the support from CPN (Maoist Center) and other parties in the 10-party ruling coalition. RSP candidate Wagle, who recently quit the NC, is a noted economist and a former member of the National Planning Commission. He came with a flying CV with former job experience in international organizations like the World Bank and UNDP, making him one of the election frontrunners. The NC and other parties in the ruling coalition tried to put up a strong campaign against Wagle, who was labeled as an opportunist, a non-native candidate, and an untested politician. Congress general secretary duo Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma were assigned as campaign managers of the party in Tanahun-1. In the run-up to Sunday's poll, even Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Congress leader Deuba and top leaders of other parties in the ruling coalition flew to Tanahun in a government helicopter to address a Congress election rally. But the voters of Tanahun-1 this time decided to give an untested outsider candidate a chance by voting for ‘Ghanti’ (bell), the election symbol of RSP. If the 2022 general elections hinted at the emergence of the so-called alternative parties, the by-election outcome is surely a confirmation. It is also a lesson for the three major political parties of Nepal—NC, UML and Maoist—that the days of complacency and treating constituents as vote machines are over. These three parties have been in the helm of power for decades, with the same set of leaders becoming prime ministers over and over again. Political analyst Geja Sharma Wagle tweeted on Monday: “In the local elections, people had suggested, but major parties did not learn any lesson. In the November polls, the public message was loud and clear. The by-election results are the final warning to major political parties. Their only alternative: correct themselves or perish.” Successive governments after 1990 have failed to deliver, and the people have been keeping score all along. There are no jobs, service delivery is poor, living costs are increasing, farmers never get fertilizer on time, there is no market for agriculture products, and corruption is thriving. Many youths do not see any future in Nepal, and adults are regretting not leaving the country when they were young. Every day, approximately 1,500 youths leave the country in search of a better future. Meanwhile, major political parties and their affiliates have captured the state resources from the center to grassroots. People who are not associated with a political party have to scramble even to get basic services. This inequity and disparity was starkly noticeable during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people without political reach struggled for food, medicines and vaccines. Over the decades, the relationship between politicians and the general public is becoming like that of a master and a slave. All these socio-political maladies propelled parties like the RSP to power. It started with the local level elections in which independent candidates like Balen Shah and Harka Sampang were elected the mayor of Kathmandu and Dharan respectively. They won on the plank of good governance and development. What began as a voters’ revolution in urban centers like Kathmandu and Daharan played out in the form of RSP and Janamat Party winning key constituencies in the last year’s general elections, and it seems to be continuing looking at the by-election results. People these days are more tuned to the affairs around the country, thanks to the internet coverage and smartphone ownership. Through social media platforms, they are receiving first-hand knowledge and information on national and international affairs, and are now making up their own minds. Political analysts say political parties and their leaders should realize that they no longer can manipulate the voters ahead of the election season. All their double standards and doublespeak can easily be found out. It is no wonder then that a party like RSP, with no organizational strength to speak of, is threatening to eat up the political bases of the NC, UML, and Maoist. It seems like only staunch party supporters and cadres who are taking benefits from their parties are voting for their candidates. Congress leader Gunaraj Ghimire told ApEx on Monday that if they fail to correct their course now, they cannot stop the emergence of a new political force. But as RSP solidifies its position in national politics, it has its own lesson to learn from its electoral exploits. Lamichhane and the co should honor the will of the people by leading by example and delivering on the promises of good governance. Lamichhane, a TV presenter turned politician, should know better than anyone the weight of trust that people have put on him and his 10-month-old party. Despite the controversies that Lamichhane himself and his party leaders have courted in the recent months, it appears that the people still have faith in RSP. The court case over Lamichhane’s invalid citizenship and double passport was forgiven by his supporters. Even when RSP lawmaker Dhak Kumar Shrestha was recently heard on a recorded phone conversation asking for a bribe from a businessman, there were many people who defended the party. It was praiseworthy of the RSP to promptly investigate Shrestha and relieve him from all party posts and responsibilities. Many people have regarded the incident as an exemplary move. Like Shrestha, Krishna Bahadur Mahara of the Maoists and Gokul Prasad Baskota of the UML, too, had been caught red-handed soliciting bribes, but they faced no disciplinary action from their parties. Now the RSP has the chance to reciprocate to the unconditional support shown by the people by way of their work. As for the major parties, the message is clear as it had been all along, for years and years: sort yourself out.
