2023 Tanahun–1 by-election

The 2023 Tanahun–1 by-election was held in the Tanahun 1 constituency of Nepal on 23 April 2023.[2][3] The by-election was held as the result of the vacation of the seat by the sitting member, Ram Chandra Poudel, who was elected president on 9 March 2023.[4] It was held alongside by-elections in Chitwan 2 and Bara 2.[5]

2023 Tanahun–1 by-election

← 2022 23 April 2023 (2023-04-23)

Constituency of Tanahun 1 in the House of Representatives
Turnout53%[1]
 
Candidate Swarnim Wagle Govinda Bhattarai Sarbendra Khanal
Party RSP Congress CPN (UML)
Popular vote 34,919 20,122 8,488
Percentage 54.57% 31.45% 13.27%

Tanahun 1 in Gandaki Province

MP before election

Ram Chandra Poudel
Congress

Elected MP

Swarnim Wagle
RSP

Rastriya Swatantra Party's Swarnim Wagle, who had left the Nepali Congress a few weeks prior to the by-election citing differences with the party leadership, won the by-election securing over 54 percent of the votes cast.[6][7][8]

Background

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First elected from Tanahun 1 in 1991, Poudel switched seats in 1994 and was thereafter elected consecutively to parliament from Tanahun 2. He served as the Speaker of the Pratinidhi Sabha from 1994 to 1999, and was deputy prime minister and minister for Home Affairs from 2000 to 2002.

Having decided to switch back to Tanahun 1 in 2017, he was defeated by Krishna Kumar Shrestha of the CPN (UML).[9] Shrestha joined the CPN (Unified Socialist) when the party was formed, and vacated the seat for Poudel in the 2022 election, himself moving to Bara 4.[10][11]

Poudel was the candidate from Nepali Congress and its 10-party alliance for the 2023 presidential election, and was elected president on 9 March 2023, defeating former speaker Subas Chandra Nemwang of the CPN (UML).[12][13] He resigned as member of Parliament before assuming office as president on 13 March 2023.[14][15]

2022 election result

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CandidatePartyVotes%
Ram Chandra PoudelNepali Congress25,36140.45
Ek Bahadur Rana MagarCPN (UML)19,98131.87
Govinda Raj JoshiIndependent6,88610.98
Bikas SigdelRastriya Swatantra Party6,0449.64
Binod Kumar GhartiRastriya Prajatantra Party2,4843.96
Others1,9393.09
Total62,695100.00
Majority5,380
Nepali Congress gain
Source: ECN[16]

Result

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CandidatePartyVotes%+/–
Swarnim WagleRastriya Swatantra Party34,91954.57+44.93
Govinda BhattaraiNepali Congress20,12231.45−9.00
Sarbendra KhanalCPN (UML)8,48813.27−18.6
Others4560.71−17.32
Total63,985100.00
Majority14,797
Rastriya Swatantra Party gain
Source: ECN[17]

References

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  1. ^ "Around 60 percent votes cast in by-elections: Election Commission". kathmandupost.com.
  2. ^ "तनहुँ जिल्ला निर्वाचन क्षेत्र नं. १ र बारा जिल्ला निर्वाचन क्षेत्र नं. २ मा २०८० वैशाख १० गते उपनिर्वाचन हुने सम्बन्धमा प्रेस विज्ञप्ति". Election Commission, Nepal (in Nepali). Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Election Commission announces by-elections in Tanahun-1 and Bara-2 on April 23". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Ram Chandra Paudel is new President". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. ^ diwakar (20 March 2023). "By-elections in Tanahun 1 and Bara 2 on April 23, together with Chitwan 2 - OnlineKhabar English News". Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Economist Wagle quits Congress 'after constant humiliation by the Deubas'". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  7. ^ "Swarnim Wagle elected from Tanahun-1". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  8. ^ "RSP's Wagle elected HoR member from Tanahun-1". The Annapurna Express. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  9. ^ Sen, Sandeep (10 December 2017). "NC senior leader Poudel defeated in Tanahun 1". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  10. ^ Republica. "NC senior leader Poudel to contest parliamentary election from Tanahun-1". My Republica. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  11. ^ Republica. "Unified Socialist finalizes candidates for HoR election". My Republica. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Eight political parties to support Congress candidate in presidential election". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  13. ^ "Nepal elects new president amid political uncertainty". AP NEWS. 9 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  14. ^ "President Paudel resigns as HoR member". Khabarhub. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  15. ^ Republica. "President Paudel assumes his office, resigns from the post of HoR member". My Republica. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  16. ^ "प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य निर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारहरुको सुची". Election Commission of Nepal.
  17. ^ "प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य उपनिर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारहरुको सुची". Election Commission of Nepal.