It is no surprise that Kulman Ghising, who became hugely popular among the public after freeing the country from 18-hour power cuts, is forming a political party. His political ambitions have been evident for a long time.
Even in the previous general election, there were speculations that he would contest from the CPN (Maoist Center). The Maoist Center had even included his photo in its election campaign posters.
A poster published on Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s Facebook page featured photos of Dahal, leader Janardan Sharma, and Ghising.
The Maoist Center campaigned via Dahal’s Facebook page with the slogan “Ending load-shedding was one leap; now it’s time for free electricity.” The poster also read, “A journey from darkness to light.”
However, the party was criticized for turning Ghising, who was the managing director of the Nepal Electricity Authority, into a “poster boy” for election campaigning, after which his photo was removed.
At the time, it was said that Ghising would contest the election from Kathmandu Constituency No. 3.
Even after leaving the NEA, Ghising held discussions with various political parties about joining them, during which he demanded that the ticket for Kathmandu-3 be secured for him, said a source close to him. This shows that he had long considered this Kathmandu constituency suitable for himself.
Ghising’s entry into politics is no longer just speculations.
Ghising, who is the minister for energy, physical infrastructure, and urban development in the interim government, has now made his foray into politics by forming his own party. Targeting the elections scheduled for March 5, 2026, he has launched the Ujyaalo Nepal Party, with a light bulb as the election symbol.
Now the question arises: Does Ghising still want to contest from Kathmandu-3, or is he considering another constituency for himself?
Besides Kathmandu-3, the area Ghising could contest from is his home district, Ramechhap. Since Ghising was born in Ramechhap, many believe he might run from there.
However, those close to Ghising say that the constituency he will contest from has almost been finalized and that he will contest from Kathmandu-3.
According to his inner circle, there are three political reasons why he chose Kathmandu-3 instead of his home district.
First, Ghising currently resides in Bauddha/Mahankal, located in Ward No. 6 of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. This area is part of Kathmandu Constituency No. 3. With a significant presence of Janajati communities in Bauddha and Gokarneshwor Municipality, leaders of the Ujyaalo Nepal Party believe it will be advantageous for him.
Second, since no top-tier leaders from major political parties have been fielded in Kathmandu-3, and since there is no popular figure there, it is believed to make things for Ghising.
In the last election, Santosh Chalise from the Nepali Congress won from this constituency. Prior to that, CPN-UML’s Krishna Rai was elected. Since neither leader has a national-level image, Ghising’s close aides say voters will spontaneously support him if he runs.
The third reason is his popularity in Kathmandu. Though his home district is Ramechhap, Ghising is especially popular among urban voters. The narrative of having ended power cuts, based on which Ghising can gain political mileage, has its strongest impact in urban areas. Since urban residents benefited most from the end of power cuts, party leaders believe he has a better chance of winning by contesting from Kathmandu rather than Ramechhap.
Another reason linked to this is that Ghising is a well-known figure among the urban youth generation.
When youth debated potential leaders for the interim government on the social media platform Discord after the Gen Z movement of September 8 and 9, Ghising’s had name ranked prominently. After Balen Shah and Sushila Karki, they had proposed Ghising in third place.
Party leaders analyze due to his popularity among the youth, he could benefit by contesting from Kathmandu.
Keeping these three reasons in mind, it has almost been decided that Ghising will contest from Kathmandu-3 in the March 5 elections, say those close to him.
Apart from Ghising, however, it has not yet been finalized who else will contest the upcoming elections from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party. The party has a 51-member central committee. Even central committee members do not know each other. Though Ghising has coordinated among them, it has not yet been decided who will contest, party leaders say.
Of the names submitted to the Election Commission, Tashi Lhanjom from Humla and Bijay Kandel from Nawalparasi have already announced they are not part of the party.
Some individuals on the name list have contested elections before and are expected to run from their previous constituencies.
For example, Dekendra Singh Thegim, who previously ran as an independent candidate from Ilam Constituency 2, is in Ghising’s party. He received 11,457 votes in the by-election held in Ilam after Subash Nembang’s death. Suhang Nembang of the UML won the election, while Thegim came third. It is expected that Thegim will contest again from Ilam under Ghising’s party.
Similarly, Shree Gurung, who ran as an independent candidate from Kathmandu-5 in the previous election, is also in Ghising’s party. He is likely to contest from the same constituency. Gurung is a documentary and film producer.
Nirdesh Silwal, who was active in Bibeksheel Sajha Party, is on the central committee of Ujyaalo Nepal Party. He ran as an independent candidate from Kathmandu-6 in the last election. Therefore, Silwal is likely to choose the same constituency. His ancestral home is in Lamjung.
Mahendra Sundar Lawati is expected to contest from Panchthar. His father, Padma Sundar Lawati, was a central figure in Nepali politics from the Panchayat era through the king’s active rule. He was also a general secretary of the RPP. One son, Sagun Lawati, remains active in RPP politics. The other son, Mahendra Sundar, has entered politics via Ghising’s party. Ujyaalo Nepal Party leaders believe Mahendra Sundar may run in Panchthar, carrying forward his father’s political legacy.
In honor of his contributions, a statue of the late Padma Sundar Lawati has been erected in the center of Phidim and Yasok bazaar in Panchthar. Therefore, introducing his son Mahendra Sundar in Panchthar would not require much effort.
Actress Rima Bishwakarma, who hails from Bardiya, is also on the central committee of Ghising’s party. She has not clarified whether she will contest the election. However, being a celebrity, Rima is a potential candidate from the Ujyaalo Nepal Party. Moreover, as she is a well-known figure across the country, she would not need introduction in any constituency.
Abhishek Raj Singh, who became known through Dr. Govinda KC’s movement, is also a central member in Ghising’s party. His ancestral home is in Sarlahi. He was recently active during the formation of the Sushila Karki-led government. Given his growing interest in politics, the possibility of Abhishek running cannot be ruled out. Having played a role in the Gen Z movement, he may also contest to institutionalize it.
Ghising’s party has six leaders from Bibeksheel Sajha. One of them, Rajiya Banu, is expected to contest from Kathmandu.
Similarly, Sanjeev Bhattarai, who was previously active in the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, is expected to run from Chitwan-2.
