Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: After exiting CPN-UML, Madhav Kumar Nepal used to say he would ‘finish’ UML. He formed a new party with 23 UML lawmakers who chose to join him when the party split. After his party’s performance in the 2022 election, Nepal will now find it difficult to justify the party split.
Nepal-led CPN (Unified Socialist) has won 10 first past the post (FPTP) seats. The chances of winning other seats appear slim. Party leader Jhalanath Khanal is trailing UML candidate in Ilam-1, while deputy general secretary Jagannath Khatiwada and Birodh Khatiwada have already been defeated.
Ten out of 20 candidates of Unified Socialist, who contested the election, have won. Along with Nepal, who won from Rautahat-3, Rajendra Prasad Pandey from Dhading-1, Prakash Jwala from Salyan, Bhanu Bhakta Joshi from Bajhang, Prem Bahadur Ale from Doti, Met Mani Chaudhary from Dang-1, Krishna Kumar Shrestha from Bara-4, Sher Bahadur Kunwar from Achham-1, Ammar Bahadur Thapa from Dailekh-1 and Dhan Bahadur Budha from Dolpa won the FPTP voting.
It has received only 72,639 votes and is unlikely to cross the 3% threshold required to get ‘national party’ status in the parliament.
Unified Socialist has received very few proportionate representation (PR) votes. It has received only 72,639 votes and is unlikely to cross the 3% threshold required to get ‘national party’ status in the parliament.
Nepal has termed the election results unexpected. He has also hinted at the unity of left parties. But many have termed the party’s performance in FPTP voting remarkable.
This is because the party’s candidates had won only 20 local units in the local body elections held in March. “We had to face defeat as the votes of ruling parties didn’t transfer as per the agreement,” Damodar Aryal, deputy chief of Unified Socialist’s publicity department said. “Still we managed to get the political victory. Election results aren’t the only thing that matter.”
