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.
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