KATHMANDU: Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Vice President of the Nepali Congress, has said his party accepts the verdict of voters as preliminary results from the House of Representatives election indicate a difficult outcome for the party.
Responding to early vote counts that suggest the Nepali Congress may face a significant electoral setback, Sharma said the party respects the mandate given by the electorate.
He compared the current political moment with the rise of the Maoist Centre after the Nepali Civil War, noting that just as the Maoists emerged victorious from the armed struggle in 2008, the Rastriya Swatantra Party is now rising through the ballot.
Sharma said the party’s strong performance in the ongoing election was not unexpected.
According to him, the Rastriya Swatantra Party had already shown signs of growing public support during the 2022 general election, when the party—formed in June that year—contested the November polls and emerged as the fourth largest party in Parliament with national party status.
Based on the preliminary vote count of the ongoing election, Sharma noted that the RSP appears likely to secure a commanding majority.
In the 2022 elections, however, the Nepali Congress had emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives.
Taking to social media, Sharma wrote: “The voters’ verdict is acceptable. Just as we welcomed the Maoists who emerged through bullets, we welcome the RSP that is rising through ballots. Considering the signals seen in 2022, this is not unexpected. Strong hopes should not turn into another disappointment. We will both support and hold them accountable on the country’s core issues. Jai Nepal.”
Comment