Surkhet: Voters in Karnali Province rejected several former ministers in the House of Representatives election held on Falgun 21, with six ex-ministers losing their races despite holding influential positions in the past. Out of 12 constituencies in Karnali, four former ministers from the provincial government and five from the federal government had contested the election.
Among the former federal ministers, ex-Finance Minister Janardan Sharma, former Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet, and former Tourism Minister Khadga Bahadur BK were defeated. However, former Urban Development Minister Dhan Bahadur Budha from Dolpa and former Chief Minister of Karnali and ex-Energy Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi from Kalikot managed to secure victories and return to parliament.
Among four former ministers of the Karnali provincial government, only Gopal Sharma from Rukum West won the election. Former ministers Naresh Bhandari, Chandra Bahadur Shahi, and Amar Bahadur Thapa were defeated in their respective constituencies. Interestingly, most of the defeated leaders lost to their own former colleagues.
In Rukum West, Janardan Sharma, who had been winning elections since 2008, was defeated by his former aide Gopal Sharma by a margin of 7,263 votes. In Jajarkot, Shakti Bahadur Basnet lost to Nepali Congress candidate Khadga Bahadur Budha, breaking a long-standing communist stronghold.
Similarly, Khadga Bahadur BK “Prakanda,” once a powerful Maoist leader, suffered a heavy defeat in Kalikot despite claiming strong support. In Dailekh-1, former provincial minister Amar Bahadur Thapa also faced an unexpected loss, while in Jumla and Mugu, former ministers Naresh Bhandari and Chandra Bahadur Shahi failed to secure victory.
The results indicate a major shift in Karnali politics, with voters favoring new faces over long-time leaders in several constituencies.
