13 of 16 RSP Women Candidates Win Seats in Historic Election Victory

Kathmandu: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has achieved a historic success in Nepal’s House of Representatives election, with 13 of its 16 female candidates winning their seats. The results highlight growing public support for women leaders and mark an important moment for women’s participation in national politics.

Many of the party’s female candidates won by large margins, reflecting strong voter confidence in their leadership.

Key Victories by Women Candidates

Ranju Darshana delivered the party’s first victory in Kathmandu-1. She secured 15,455 votes, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Prabal Thapa Chhetri by a comfortable margin.

In Lalitpur-3, Tosima Karki successfully defended her seat for the second time. She received 43,096 votes and defeated both Nepali Congress candidate Jitendra Kumar Shrestha and Nepal Communist Party candidate Raj Kaji Maharjan.

Sobita Gautam also achieved a major win in Chitwan-3 after shifting her constituency from Kathmandu-2. She secured 59,277 votes and defeated Renu Dahal, a candidate from the Nepal Communist Party and former mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

Strong Wins Across the Country

In Morang-6, Rubina Acharya, an MBA graduate from Kathmandu University, won a landslide victory with 55,513 votes. Her closest rival, Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala, received only 12,850 votes.

Another victory came from Morang-5 where Asha Jha won by more than 20,000 votes. She polled 30,434 votes against Congress candidate Phul Kumar Lalwani.

The party also secured two important wins in Jhapa. Nisha Dangi won in Jhapa-1 with 45,680 votes, while Indira Rana Magar achieved a massive victory in Jhapa-2 with 60,110 votes, defeating former Speaker Devraj Ghimire.

Other Successful Candidates

Nitima Bhandari Karki won from Sarlahi-1 with 44,181 votes. In Kailali-1, agricultural entrepreneur Komal Gyawali secured victory with 17,862 votes.

In Kaski-3, social worker Bina Gurung won with 37,750 votes, defeating Congress candidate Manoj Gurung by a large margin.

Social media activist Ashika Tamang also entered Parliament after winning Dhading-1 with 39,128 votes, defeating experienced political leaders from other parties.

Pushpa Kumari Chaudhary won the Saptari-1 seat with 38,195 votes, while Gauri Kumari secured victory in Mahottari-4 with 30,132 votes.

Three Candidates Face Defeat

Despite the overall success, three RSP women candidates were unable to secure victory. Binita Kathayat lost in Jumla to Gyanendra Shahi from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Sarin Tamang was defeated in Sunsari-1 by Harka Raj Rai of the Shram Sanskriti Party. Tashi Lhanjom finished fourth in Humla.

Important Step for Women Representation

The strong performance of women candidates from the RSP is considered significant, especially because political parties in Nepal are often criticized for placing female candidates in constituencies where winning is difficult.

For the upcoming election, the party nominated 16 women and 148 men under the direct first-past-the-post electoral system. Women therefore represent 9.75 percent of RSP’s direct candidates.

However, Nepal’s constitution requires political parties to ensure at least 33 percent women’s representation in Parliament through a mix of direct elections and proportional representation.

This election result has become an important milestone for women’s participation and leadership in Nepal’s political landscape.