Having undergone a generational shift in leadership through a Special General Convention Nepali Congress (NC) has decided not to field most of its veteran leaders in the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) election.
Leading the list of heavyweight leaders who failed to get party ticket is former NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Despite his efforts until the very last moment, he did not receive a ticket. Nain Singh Mahar has been granted the ticket in Dadeldhura which has elected Deuba in all the parliamentary elections since restoration of democracy in 1990.
Former President Deuba had been requesting a ticket to contest from Dadeldhura, but the NC leadership refused to grant it. The Central Committee elected from the Special General Convention had advised Deuba to play the role of guardian. "The outgoing president was sending messages until this evening expressing his desire to contest from Dadeldhura one last time. We told him to remain in the role of guardian," said an NC office-bearer. "Fielding outgoing president Deuba as a candidate would have undermined the message of transformation and generational change within the party. Therefore, we did not make him a candidate."
Bhanu Deuba, the chief personal secretary to Sher Bahadur Deuba, stated Monday night, "I wish to inform that Sher Bahadur Deuba will not be a candidate in the upcoming House of Representatives election." Deuba had been continuously contesting and winning from Dadeldhura since 1991 having been elected seven times from the constituency. He was made home minister after NC formed the government following the election in 1991 and eventually served as PM five times.
Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar is another heavyweight leader who failed to get a ticket. Gachchhadar, who had won every election since 1991, lost in Sunsari-3 in 2022. He won the 1991, 1994, and 1999 elections from NC. After winning from the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum in 2008 and the Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum (Democratic) in 2013, he won again from the NC in 2017. In 2022, he was defeated by CPN-UML’s Bhagwati Chaudhary. Although Gachchhadar aspired to contest again this time, he did not get a ticket.
Another leader who failed to get a ticket is Bal Krishna Khand. Khand, who was arrested on charges of fraud for allegedly trying to send Nepalis to America by turning them into fake Bhutanese refugees while he was home minister, wanted to contest again from Rupandehi-3. However, he did not get the opportunity, and Sushil Gurung has been given the ticket in his place.
Another leader Ramesh Lekhak, also did not get a ticket this time. He had won from Kanchanpur-3 four times. After winning for the first time in 1999, Lekhak did not get to contest the election through the first-past-the-post election in 2008. He then won from the same constituency in 2013. Defeated in the 2017 parliamentary election, Lekhak was victorious in 2022. He was the home minister during the Gen-Z movement on September 8 and 9, 2025.
Shashank Koirala also did not get a ticket this time. Gajendra Ale has been given the ticket from Nawalpur East where Koirala had previously won three times.
Outgoing Vice President Dhanraj Gurung was also not given ticket by NC this time. In 2022, Gurung won from Syangja-2 by defeating CPN-UML Secretary Padma Aryal. Former Vice President Gopalman Shrestha had been contesting from the same constituency, but he too did not get a ticket this time.
Prakash Man Singh is also among the veteran leaders who failed to secure a ticket. The son of Ganeshman Singh, one of the founding leaders of NC, he had been winning from Kathmandu-1. Although Singh was recommended as the primary candidate from the constituency this time as well, NC did not give him a ticket. Prabal Thapa has been made the candidate in his place.
In addition to the heavyweight leaders who did not receive tickets, some have announced that they will not contest the elections themselves.
Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma had already announced that he would not contest this time. Another Vice President, Pushpa Bhusal also announced she would not stand for election. Former Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka, who moved the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's recognition of the Special General Convention, announced his decision not to contest on moral grounds.
Similarly, Hriday Ram Thani of Surkhet-2, Ramnath Adhikari of Dhading-2, Rajendra KC of Kathmandu-10, Bal Bahadur KC of Solukhumbu, and Jeet Bahadur (Jeep Tsering) Lama, among others, have announced they will not stand for election.
