KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has submitted a list of 110 proportional representation candidates to the Election Commission (EC) ahead of the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.
After lengthy discussions aimed at bringing Energy Minister Kulman Ghisingh into the fold, the party finalized and submitted its closed list late Monday night.
The list features a number of well-known personalities from diverse fields, including entertainment, sports, business, and social activism. Former Miss Nepal 2019 Anushka Shrestha has been included at number four in the indigenous women cluster.
She is also the owner of the sweets brand ‘Makkuse’, which produces gummies, cookies, and other premium confectionery products. Actress Rima Bishwakarma tops the Dalit women cluster, while folk singer Prakash Saput is ranked number two in the Dalit cluster, behind Rupak Bishwakarma Ghimire.
Filmmaker and television presenter Asif Shah leads the Muslim cluster, and singers Satyakala Rai and Trisala Gurung are also included in the list. Cricketer Gyanendra Malla has been placed at number five in the indigenous peoples cluster, following Dr. Ram Lama, Khushbusarkar Shrestha, Mingma Gyabu Sherpa, and Dr. Manohar Pradhan.
Business leaders are also prominently represented. Sachin Dhakal, Director of IME Group and President of the Franchise Football Club FC Chitwan, is ranked second in the Khas Arya men’s cluster. Dhakal is the son of Chandra Dhakal, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
Likewise, Vidushi Rana, Executive Director of Goldstar Shoe Company, is ranked second in the Khas Arya women’s cluster, with the company exporting internationally.
Lima Adhikari (Acharya), daughter of the late CPN-UML leader Bharat Mohan Adhikari, ranks third in the Khas Arya cluster and also serves on the board of Nepal Infrastructure Bank Limited. Leading the Adiwasi Janajati cluster is Dr. Ram Lama, an energy entrepreneur and mechanical engineering PhD from Kathmandu University, who coordinates the Green Hydrogen Lab and has more than a decade of experience in the hydropower industry.
The list also includes prominent social activists and rights leaders, such as former National Human Rights Commission member Mohana Ansari, rights activist Urmila Chaudhary, and Dr. Ramji Ram.
By including a mix of well-known figures from entertainment, sports, business, and civil society, the RSP aims to present a diverse and recognizable team of candidates in the proportional representation category, signaling its strategy to appeal to a broad spectrum of voters.
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