Historic Shift in Bhaktapur–1 as Nepal Workers Peasant Party’s Longtime Stronghold Falls
Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate breaks decades-long electoral dominance in Bhaktapur constituency
Saturday, March 7, 2026 by Manik Maharjan
In a historic political shift, the long-standing dominance of the Nepal Workers Peasant Party in Bhaktapur-1 has been broken for the first time in the constituency’s electoral history.
According to the final vote count, Ramesh Rajit of the Rastriya Swatantra Party emerged victorious with 33,434 votes, defeating candidates from several major parties and ending the decades-long winning streak of the Nepal Workers Peasant Party in the area.
The candidate from the Nepal Workers Peasant Party, Prem Suwal, secured 28,497 votes, finishing in second place. Meanwhile, Kiran Thapa of the Nepali Congress received 4,282 votes, and Som Prasad Mishra from CPN-UML obtained 3,692 votes.
For decades, Bhaktapur–1 had been widely known as a stronghold of the Nepal Workers Peasant Party, consistently electing its candidates in parliamentary elections. However, this election produced an unexpected outcome as voters opted for change, handing victory to the Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate.
Political analysts describe the result as a major political turning point for Bhaktapur, indicating a shift in voter sentiment and the growing influence of newer political forces.
