KATHMANDU, Jan 24: As the country heads toward the House of Representatives election on March 5, the list of candidates features several familiar faces—leaders who have remained electoral fixtures across political eras. Often dubbed “evergreen candidates,” some of them have contested elections under all three systems Nepal has witnessed: the Panchayat system, multiparty democracy, and the republican order.
Nepali Communist Party (NCP) leader Rajendra Pandey is among the most prominent examples. His electoral journey dates back to the Panchayat era, when he first contested the 2043 BS election and was elected district panchayat chair. Since 2048 BS, Pandey has remained a regular contender in parliamentary races. He won the 2074 BS election as a provincial assembly member and is once again in the fray from Dhading–1, a constituency he has repeatedly represented as a candidate.
CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli is another long-time electoral heavyweight. He entered electoral politics in 2048 BS, winning from Jhapa–6. Except for a single defeat in the 2064 BS Constituent Assembly election, Oli has won every contest he has faced. This time, he is contesting from Jhapa–5.
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UML leader Bishnu Prasad Paudel also falls into the category of evergreen candidates. He has been contesting elections continuously since 2048 BS. While he first ran from Palpa, Paudel is now seeking a seat from Rupandehi–2.
Rajendra Mahato, contesting from Sarlahi–2 on behalf of the Rastriya Mukti Party, is another familiar name on the ballot. Mahato has been running in elections consistently since 2048 BS. Likewise, Kamal Thapa—who entered the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) from RPP-Nepal—has contested elections multiple times under both the first-past-the-post and proportional representation systems. According to sources close to Thapa, this is his eighth electoral bid. He is contesting from Kathmandu–5.
Thapa has filed his candidacy in every election since 2048 BS. He was defeated in Makwanpur–1 in 1991 but went on to win from Makwanpur–2 in 2051 BS. A long-time advocate of monarchy and a Hindu state, Thapa has usually contested from his home district of Makwanpur. This time, however, he has shifted constituencies to Kathmandu.
Nepali Congress (NC) leader Bijay Kumar Gachhadar has also remained a frequent contender, alongside a history of party switches. He first won an election from Sunsari–2 in 2048 BS as an NC candidate. He lost in 2051 BS, after which his electoral career saw alternating wins and losses. This time, Gachhadar is contesting from Sunsari–3.
Ahead of the 2064 BS Constituent Assembly election, Gachhadar left the NC to join the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum, contesting and winning under its banner. He later formed his own party—the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic)—and has since returned to the NC.
Prithvi Subba Gurung, contesting from Lamjung, is also among the evergreen candidates. He first entered electoral politics during the Panchayat era, contesting the 2043 BS election for membership of the then Rastriya Panchayat. A CPN-UML leader, Gurung has remained electorally active ever since.
Similarly, Sharat Singh Bhandari, who is contesting from Mahottari–2 on behalf of the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, is running in his tenth election. According to sources close to him, Bhandari first contested—and won—the 2038 BS election for Rastriya Panchayat membership from Mahottari. He repeated the feat in 2043 BS from the same constituency.
Even after the political change of 2046 BS, Bhandari continued to contest elections. In 2048 BS, he ran from Mahottari–5 as a candidate of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Beyond his repeated electoral bids, Bhandari also holds the record for serving as a minister multiple times—having held ministerial positions on as many as 20 occasions.
