Nepal PM poll: Bhattarai, Poudel in Sunday face off

After a gap of nearly seven months, Nepal’s parliament will witness another election on Sunday. This time to elect the country’s 35th prime minister that will help end the current political crisis. Utpal Parashar reports.

Updated on: Aug 27, 2011, 17:36:02 IST

Hindustan Times | By Utpal Parashar, Kathmandu

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After a gap of nearly seven months, Nepal’s parliament will witness another election on Sunday. This time to elect the country’s 35th prime minister that will help end the current political crisis.

The two candidates whose fates will be decided are Maoist vice-chairman Baburam Bhattarai and Nepali Congress vice-president and parliamentary party leader Ram Chandra Poudel.

Both candidates and their parties are busy holding series of meetings with other parties with the aim of securing support. But the picture is not yet clear who will win the race.

Poudel had tasted defeat 16 consecutive times during the previous PM election before withdrawing from the contest. Bhattarai, a former finance minister, will on the other hand be trying his luck for the first time.

The first round of election to elect the prime minister will be held at 1 pm on Sunday. If no candidate gets a clear majority, another round of voting would be held the same day to arrive at a result.

A candidate needs to secure support of 298 members from the parliament’s existing strength of 594 to secure a win.

Since no party enjoys clear majority, decisions taken by Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), Madhesi forum and other fringe players would be crucial in deciding the winner.

Maoists have 236 members in parliament, Nepali Congress 114, CPN (UML) 108 and the conglomeration of Madhesi parties have 72 members.

Since parliamentary regulations make it mandatory for all lawmakers to be present and cast their votes, Sunday’s election unlike previous PM polls is expected to produce a clear winner.

Nepal plunged into fresh political turmoil after Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigned on August 15 to make way for a consensus based government that would speed up the peace process and drafting of the new constitution.

The deadline for both tasks ends on August 31.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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