A fresh round of protests has shaken Nepal, with demonstrators setting ablaze government and private buildings, including the Parliament and the Supreme Court. Residences belonging to lawmakers and ministers were also targeted by the crowds.
Talks are ongoing between the protestors, President Ram Chandra Paudel, and Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, but no resolution has been reached so far. Reports suggest that tensions have also flared among groups backing different potential candidates for leadership.
Amid this unrest, four prominent names have emerged as possible contenders for the post of prime minister. They include Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, former chief justice Sushila Karki, former electricity authority head Kulman Ghising, and Dharan mayor Harka Raj Sampang Rai.
Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, has earned strong support from young demonstrators. A civil and structural engineer by qualification, he also made a name for himself as a rapper and lyricist in Nepal’s hip-hop scene before entering politics. He contested as an independent candidate in 2022 and won the mayoral seat in Kathmandu, becoming a symbol of youth-driven change.
The name of former chief justice Sushila Karki gained traction after consultations with the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Her inclusion reflects calls for a clean and reform-minded leadership.
Kulman Ghising, an electrical engineer, is recognized for his tenure as head of the Nepal Electricity Authority. Appointed managing director in 2016, he is credited with ending the country’s long-standing power cuts that once stretched up to 18 hours a day. He earned his engineering degree in Jamshedpur, India, and later completed his master’s at Tribhuvan University in Nepal.
Harka Raj Sampang Rai, popularly known as Harka Sampang, is the mayor of Dharan and another figure who has drawn attention amid the protests. His reputation for grassroots activism has added weight to his candidacy in the eyes of demonstrators seeking alternative leadership.