Dr. Nicholas Bhusal (also known as Kamal Bhusal) has filed his independent candidacy for the House of Representatives from Rupandehi Constituency No. 2. Speaking after registering his nomination, Bhusal said he reached the Office of the Election Officer on Tuesday afternoon to submit his papers for the parliamentary election scheduled for February 21.
Running with the shoe as his election symbol, Bhusal said he chose the independent path after concluding that political parties have consistently failed to address the real concerns of young people. He said contesting outside party structures would give him the freedom to raise public issues more directly and honestly.
National Political Agenda and Past Activism
Bhusal said his election agenda reflects demands he has been raising for years. These include justice for families of those killed and injured during the Gen Z movement, a review or abolition of the provincial system, the introduction of a directly elected executive prime minister, and voting rights for Nepalis living abroad.
He is also known for his outspoken criticism of the government during periodic protests in Kathmandu, remarks that have previously led to his arrest. Bhusal said those actions were driven by a sense of responsibility to speak out on behalf of citizens and to question state authority when public concerns are ignored.
Local Development Priorities and Independent Path
Alongside national issues, Bhusal has placed strong focus on local development in Rupandehi. His priorities include upgrading Lumbini Provincial Hospital into a medical college, controlling landslides in the Jyotinagar area, turning waste dumped by Butwal municipality into usable resources instead of letting it pollute the Tinau River, and ensuring better market access for products from nearby hilly districts.
Bhusal said the upcoming election offers him another opportunity to formally advance the same issues he has long advocated. He had also contested the 2079 BS election from the same constituency as an independent candidate, but his nomination was rejected at the time by the Election Commission on eligibility grounds.
Despite that experience, Bhusal said he has once again chosen to remain outside party politics. He noted that several political parties approached him with offers to run under their banners, but he declined, saying an independent candidacy allows him to represent people’s issues more clearly and without political constraints.
