CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel has claimed that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is no longer a serious electoral contender in Kathmandu ahead of the upcoming election.
In the previous parliamentary elections, the RSP won seats in Kathmandu constituencies 2, 6, 7, and 8. However, Pokhrel said the party, which secured four seats last time, is unlikely to remain competitive in the capital in the next polls.
“According to current analyses, the RSP is not in a competitive position in Kathmandu,” Pokhrel said. “There is an interesting assessment that may surprise many of us. Even in the very place where the RSP was born, analyses repeatedly suggest that it is no longer competitive.”
Pokhrel noted that the RSP’s influence has increased in rural areas compared to previous elections, but said this growth does not translate into electoral victories. “The influence has increased in rural areas, but our assessment is that it has not reached the level required to win elections,” he said. “The impact exists, but not enough to secure wins.”
He also shared his assessment of the party’s prospects under the proportional representation system, stating that the RSP is likely to lose votes in urban areas while gaining some support in rural districts.
“The RSP’s vote share in urban areas is expected to decline,” Pokhrel said. “There is little doubt that its proportional votes will increase in rural areas, as this is the first time the party has entered rural regions in a meaningful way. It is likely to receive some votes in every district. Based on this, the assessment is that rural votes will increase while urban votes will decrease.”
