Parliament Gets Younger: Meet the New MPs Under 35

As the final results of the House of Representatives election continue to trickle in, one trend is already clear: a strong new generation has made a significant entry into Nepali politics.

Held against the backdrop of the special political circumstances following the 'Gen-Z' movement in early September, the election has resulted in a notable number of winners under the age of 35. While vote counting for the proportional representation system is still underway, the direct election results have already delivered a powerful message about the electorate's desire for new ideas and fresh faces.

This wave of young lawmakers has been led overwhelmingly by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The RSP alone has seen 20 candidates under 35 win their seats. In total, 23 candidates under the age of 35 have been elected directly so far: 20 from the RSP, one from the Nepali Congress, one from the Shram Sakti Party, and one from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

Their victories have injected new energy into the debate on generational change in Nepali politics. Whether they can meet the high expectations placed upon them remains to be seen. Here is a look at some of the new young lawmakers who will soon be taking their oaths in Parliament:

Sobita Gautam (30) – Chitwan-3 (RSP)

Heading the list of young MPs is 30-year-old Sobita Gautam. Born in Dolakha's Tamakoshi Rural Municipality, the RSP central member and lawyer has been elected from Chitwan-3. She secured a massive 59,277 votes, defeating her closest rival, Renu Dahal, who received 20,615. This will be Gautam's second term in the House of Representatives; she was previously elected from Kathmandu-2 in the 2022 election.

Sulabh Kharel (28) – Rupandehi-2 (RSP)

Sulabh Kharel, born in Butwal in 1998, is another young face entering Parliament at just 28. He won Rupandehi-2 with 56,550 votes, defeating heavyweight CPN-UML candidate and former Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel, who managed 12,861 votes. Kharel holds a BA-LLB from Nepal Law Campus.

Rubina Acharya (31) – Morang-6 (RSP)

Born in Biratnagar, Rubina Acharya has pulled off a major upset by securing 55,513 votes in Morang-6. She defeated Nepali Congress leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, who received only 12,850 votes.

Badan Kumar Bhandari (33) – Kavrepalanchowk-2 (RSP)

A resident of Bhumlu Rural Municipality, Badan Bhandari is an e-commerce entrepreneur and media professional. He won with 53,344 votes, far ahead of Nepali Congress candidate Madhu Prasad Acharya who secured 17,868 votes. Bhandari holds a Bachelor's degree.

Nisha Dangi (29) – Jhapa-1 (RSP)

Born in 1996 in Jhapa's Bhadrapur Municipality, Nisha Dangi entered Parliament this time through direct election after previously serving as a proportional representation MP in 2022. She won with 45,680 votes, defeating Nepali Congress's Keshabraj Pandey (10,550 votes). Dangi holds a Master's degree in Journalism.

Manish Khanal (26) – Nawalpur-2 (RSP)

Born on June 25, 1999, Manish Khanal is one of the youngest MPs. A resident of Madhyabindu Municipality, he won with 41,347 votes, defeating UML candidate Til Bahadur Mahat Kshetri, who finished as runner-up with 15,755 votes. Khanal is a law graduate from Nepal Law Campus.

Bablu Gupta (28) – Siraha-1 (RSP)

Active in social service, Bablu Gupta holds a Bachelor's degree. He secured 41,322 votes to win his seat, while his closest rival, Nepali Congress's Ramsundar Chaudhary, received 9,774 votes.

Sasmit Pokharel (29) – Kathmandu-5 (RSP)

Born in Kathmandu on February 12, 1996, Sasmit Pokharel is a lawyer and serves as a central member and assistant spokesperson for the RSP. A former advisor to Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah, Pokharel brings experience in service delivery, project implementation, and office management. He has also worked as a chief assistant in a parliamentarian's office.

Prashant Upreti (25) – Makwanpur-2 (RSP)

Born in Makwanpur in 2000, Prashant Upreti is a tourism entrepreneur by profession and holds a degree in Tourism Management.

Other under-35 winners from the RSP include Santosh Rajbanshi (34) from Morang-4, Shiv Shankar Yadav (30) from Siraha-2, and Tapeshwar Yadav (33) from Siraha-4. Deepak Kumar Shah (34) won in Mahottari-2, while Ujjwal Kumar Jha (33) triumphed in Mahottari-3.

From the western hills, Sagar Dhakal (34), an engineer from Gulmi's Satyawati Rural Municipality, secured Gulmi-1, and Sushant Baidik (31) won in Pyuthan-1.

In the capital, Ranju Neupane (Darshana) (30), a popular figure emerging from alternative politics who holds a Bachelor's degree, won in Kathmandu-1. Som Sharma (34) was victorious in Baglung-2, while Jhabilal Dumre won Syangja-2 with 25,354 votes. From the Madhesh region, Ramji Yadav (30) won Saptari-2 with 28,404 votes.

KP Khanal (26), a long-time social activist known for leading nationwide campaigns like 'Clean Kasthamandap' and 'Kathmandu Trash Collection,' won Kailali-2 with 19,057 votes. Khanal also established an orphanage in Bajura through the Maina Devi Foundation and led humanitarian efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 'Humla is Hungry' campaign.

Winners from other parties include Yogesh Gauchan Thakali (32) in Mustang-1 from the Nepali Congress,  Gyan (Gyanendra) Bahadur Shahi (34) in Jumla-1 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, and Aren Rai (29) in Khotang-1 from the Shram Sakti Party. -- RSS