India-Nepal Ties: As Comrades Prachanda-Oli Unite, Is China Having Last Laugh?

The election system adopted in the new Constitution of Nepal whereby, elections are held under the First Past the Post and Proportional Representation systems practically make it difficult for any political party to achieve a clear majority. Hence, coalition politics have always attained significance in Nepal.

NC, UML, Maoists and Madhesh-based parties have been main coalition partners since a long time. But this time around, the rise of first-timer Rastriya Swatantra Party led by a popular TV anchor Rabi Lammichhane has been significant. He has secured the post of deputy PM with Home ministry portfolio.

His party has seven seats in the federal legislature. Figures like CK Raut of Janamat Party, independent winners (4 out of 5 have joined Prachanda), and Nagarik Unmukti Party’s (which won 3 seats) Resham Chaudahary, who is serving a jail term, will have a visible presence.

In the general elections, there was a lot of noise especially in social media for the need to have more young faces in the Nepali parliament. A significant number of votes in the proportional representation went to Rabi’s party. The shift of mere 3-4 per cent votes have brought smaller parties into the mainstream fore.