KATHMANDU: Dhanusha’s 26-year-old Rubi Kumari Thakur is all set to become the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The proportional representative lawmaker from Harka Sampang-led Shram Sanskriti Party will assume the post after receiving backing from the Rastriya Swatantra Party as well.
Two female lawmakers had registered their candidacies for the Deputy Speaker post, with Thakur representing the Shram Sanskriti Party and Saraswati Lama representing the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
The House of Representatives Secretariat recorded the nominations on Thursday within the scheduled time. Thakur submitted her candidacy with the support of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which holds 182 seats. Her proposal was put forward by Aren Rai and seconded by Ashok Kumar Chaudhary and Ambika Devi Sangroula. Thakur was accompanied at the secretariat by Rastriya Swatantra Party General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti.
After registering her candidacy, Thakur expressed gratitude to all those who supported her and said she was prepared to fulfill the responsibilities of the position. She praised Shram Sanskriti Party Chair Harka Sampang, saying, “I am just a girl from a village in Madhesh. This achievement belongs to all the people of Madhesh. I thank everyone who chose me. I am very happy and grateful to all. I did not expect any of this.”
She repeatedly emphasized that she is a daughter of Madhesh and openly appreciated Sampang, adding, “I never imagined this would happen. You elevated someone like me to this level. For this, I will always be indebted to the Chairperson. I consider him a god for bringing me to this responsibility.”
Thakur comes from a humble family and has emerged in politics at a young age. Growing up amidst social discrimination and family responsibilities, she was nominated as a proportional representative lawmaker by her party to represent the Madhesi Janajati group. Her father works in Saudi Arabia, and her mother is a homemaker. With limited family income, Thakur learned self-reliance and responsibility from an early age.
After passing SEE, she completed a three-year diploma at Balara Polytechnic, Dhanusha, and worked for seven months at an architecture consultancy, earning Rs 20,000 per month, part of which she sent home to support her family. Thakur’s political journey developed unexpectedly. Following Harka Sampang’s activities on social media, she gradually became involved in politics. During the election campaign on March 5, she campaigned in Dhanusha-4, requesting votes for the Shram Sanskriti Party.
Harka Sampang had nominated her as a proportional representative candidate from the Madhesi Janajati cluster, making her the youngest lawmaker of the party. With the support of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, she is set to become the youngest Deputy Speaker in Nepal’s history. Thakur has pledged to prioritize social justice, women’s empowerment, dowry system, and child marriage issues. She has pointed out that despite laws against dowry, the practice continues, and child marriage has not been fully eliminated in the Madhesh region. She intends to raise these social issues in parliament.
Balancing education and politics, Thakur is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering alongside her parliamentary duties. As the youngest lawmaker in the country, she now aims to use her position as Deputy Speaker to advocate for social justice and push for lawmaking against social evils and injustice. With seven MPs from her party and the backing of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, her path to the Deputy Speaker’s chair is now confirmed.
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