Tanahun Constituency No. 1: Election Overview and Candidate Profiles

Damauli (Tanahun). Ram Chandra Paudel, The then leader of the Nepali Congress, became the President after being elected from Tanahun Constituency No. 1 in 2079 BS. Paudel won that election with 25,361 votes.

Following his election as President, a by-election was held for the vacant seat on Baisakh 10, 2080 BS. In the by-election, Dr. Swarnim Wagle from the Rastriya Swatantra Party was elected with 34,919 votes. His competitors, Govinda Bhattarai of the Nepali Congress, received 20,122 votes, and Sarvendra Khanal of the CPN (UML) received 8,488 votes.

For the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21, 2082 BS (March 5, 2026), Wagle has once again become the candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Bhattarai has also received another opportunity from the Nepali Congress. Similarly, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has fielded Bhagwati Neupane as its candidate.

According to the Office of the Chief Election Officer, there are 16 candidates competing in Tanahun Constituency No. 1. The competitors include Bidyanath Dhakal from the Nepali Communist Party, Om Bikram Panta from the CPN (Maoist), Kashiram Gurung from the Shram Sanskriti Party, Chijamaya Adhikari from the Aam Janata Party, independent candidate Deepak Raj Joshi, Prem Bahadur Thapa from the Mongol Organisation Party, Manzil Rana from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party, Yam Bahadur Ale from the Nepal Janamukti Party, Ram Laxmi Duwal from the Nepal Workers Peasants Party, Ram Datta Joshi from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, independent candidate Lekhnath Khanal, independent candidate Sandesh Ranabhat Laudari, and Suman Thapa Magar from National Republic Nepal.

Election Officer Bikas Lamsal informed that there are 126,882 voters in Tanahun Constituency No. 1. Among them, 61,778 are male and 65,104 are female.

Constituency No. 1 includes Byas Municipality, Bhanu Municipality, Bandipur Rural Municipality, Anbu Khaireni Rural Municipality, and Devghat Rural Municipality. The RSP, which won the by-election, is conducting door-to-door campaigns with the challenge of securing victory in this election as well. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress is moving forward with the goal of reclaiming this constituency where it has traditionally won.

The CPN (UML), which has not previously secured a victory in Tanahun Constituency No. 1 even with alliances, is meeting voters in search of its first win. Back when there were three constituencies, Ram Chandra Paudel was elected from Tanahun Constituency No. 1 in 2048 BS. 

In 2051 BS, Govinda Raj Joshi of the Nepali Congress won the election. In 2064 BS, Suresh Kumar Ale Magar from the then UCPN (Maoist) was elected, and in 2070 BS, Shankar Bhandari from the Nepali Congress was elected.

Furthermore, Krishna Kumar Shrestha of the CPN (UML) was elected from the Left Alliance in 2074 BS, and Ram Chandra Paudel of the Nepali Congress was elected in 2079 BS. Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Dr. Swarnim Wagle stated that he has become a candidate again to complete the unfinished work he started in Tanahun Constituency No. 1.

He mentioned that many development projects began after his victory in the 2080 BS by-election and that he became a candidate from here again to ensure their continuity. Nepali Congress candidate Govinda Bhattarai stated that he is trying to win the voters' trust by pledging to prioritize democratic values, inclusive development, and the resolution of local issues.

CPN (UML) candidate Bhagwati Neupane mentioned that she is well-acquainted with every settlement in Tanahun and stated that a clear and long-term development blueprint is necessary for the overall development and transformation of Tanahun-1. Nepali Communist Party candidate Bidyanath Dhakal claimed he would win the election, stating he is familiar with the entire geography of the area.