Chitwan-2 Election Overview: Candidates profiles and Comparative Analysis 

Constituency context: Chitwan-2, Chitwan District 

Chitwan-2 is one of the three constituencies of the Chitwan district. Since 2022, Chitwan-2 has become a safe haven for RSP despite battling a legal case Rabi Lamichhane has won in a landslide victory twice. While the Nepali Congress has struggled to bridge the gap. In the upcoming elections, the constituency has a total of 23 candidates, with the focus of the people being on Rabi Lamichhane and Meena Kumari Kharel. 

Disclaimer: This content is for voter information only and does not promote any candidate.

Candidate Profiles 

Candidate 1: Rabi Lamichhane 

Basic Information

• Full name: Rabi Lamichhane
• Age: 50 (Born September 13, 1975)
• Birthplace: Nagarkot, Bhaktapur, Bagmati Province 
• Party: Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) 
• Party Founded: July 1, 2022
• Education: School Leaving Certificate (SLC), Bhrikuti Secondary School, Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication, Baltimore U.S

Public Identity: He is regarded as a controversial populist leader who transformed his career from a TV personality into a key figure in Nepali politics. 

Political Background of Rabi Lamichhane 

• Years in politics: Roughly 3 years 
• Political involvement: Established RSP as an anti-corruption party and as an alternative to old parties
  
  Major roles:                

• Appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister, December 2022
• Appointed as the Minister of Home Affairs 
• Party leader and founder of RSP

• Party affiliation: Rastriya Swatantra Party 
• First time candidate: No

Election History

• Last election contested: House of Representatives, Chitwan-2 (2023) By-election.
• Votes received: 54,176
• Result: Won by a big margin even after citizenship controversy and cooperative fraud investigation. While both Nepali Congress and UML combined received only over 22,000 votes.

Key Promises

• Address the youth and embrace the youth led movement against corruption.
• Transforming Nepal to a respectable middle income nation through a 10 year economic plan.
• Youth representation in government, RSP decided to allocate 27% of its proportional representation seats to ages 25 – 40.

Past Performance

Major Achievements: 

• Guinness World Record for the longest TV Talk Show (2013) 
• Founded a National Political Party (RSP)
• Under his leadership, RSP became the 4th largest party in the House of Representatives.
• Two major landslide victories in Chitwan-2.
• Talked tough on middlemen working in networks inside the administration.

Failed Projects: 

• Short lived tenure as Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
• Incomplete institutional reforms of police, border control and administrative corruption. 

Strengths:

• Positioning as an alternative to the traditional dominant parties. 
• Structuring of his campaign to adhere to the demands of the youth and the Gen-Z movement.
• Building a strategic coalition by partnering with other anti-establishment figures.

Weaknesses: 

• Limited experience in governance as he has only been active in politics for 3 years.
• Past citizenship controversy and cooperative fraud investigation.
• Heavy reliance on populist figures such as Balendra Shah.
• Late delivery of a detailed sector by sector manifesto whereas other mainstream parties have already done so.

Candidate 2: Meena Kumari Kharel

Basic Information

• Full name: Meena Kumari Kharel
• Age: 54 (Born on October 21, 1971)
• Birthplace: Chitwan, Bagmati Province 
• Party: Nepali Congress
• Education: 
• Masters degree in Sociology

Public Identity

She is known for her long standing support for women and children rights. She is recognized as a social activist and community welfare worker. She has worked on issues regarding women economic growth and support for vulnerable groups. 

Political Background 

• Years in politics: 35 years
• Political entry: Active in politics since 1991-1992 AD
• Major roles:
• Central working committee member, Nepali Congress
• Member of the Parliament
• Chair of Agriculture, Cooperative and Natural resource committee
• District working committee member of Nepali Congress in Chitwan
• Party affiliation: Nepali Congress since 1991-1992

First time candidate: No

Election History

• Last election:  No contest through direct electoral contest
• Served as an MP through proportional representation under Nepali Congress

Key Promises

• To bring her 35 years of ground level experience in social work to national representation
• Her party’s manifesto includes address youth’s concerns 
• Promising development and infrastructure 
• To bring stability and traditional congress values

Major achievements:

• Long term social and community worker. She brings over 35 years of experience. 
• She is a central working committee member of Nepali Congress.
• She has served as a proportional representative member of the Parliament.

Failed projects:

• Internal party struggles and lack of visibility.
• She hasn’t held high executive offices.

Strengths:

• Over 35 years of experience in social work.
• She is known for her involvement in women and children rights.
• She has the backing of an established major party (Nepali Congress)
• Presents herself as stable, steady and experienced.

Weaknesses: 

• Lack of direct electoral contest.
• Low public visibility as compared to her populist opposition.
• Her limited executive leadership and project initiation experience.
• Her dependence on the Nepali Congress party. Internal struggles can hinder her backing.