Flummoxed by Nepal election results; not just a landslide but an upheaval: Kanak Mani Dixit

3 months ago 41

Flummoxed by Nepal election results; not just a landslide but an upheaval: Kanak Mani Dixit, Founder Editor, Himal Southasian, to Karan Thapar for The Wire. ......................................... One of Nepal’s most highly regarded journalists, the Founder Editor of Himal Southasian, Kanak Mani Dixit, says he is “flummoxed” by the Nepal election results which he said are “not just a landslide but up upheaval”. The BBC’s assessment of the result suggests that Balendra Shah and his Rashtriya Swatantra Party could have won 182 out of 275 seats, which is a two-thirds majority. If you wish to understand the enormity of what has happened in Nepal and also get some sense of Balendra Shah, the new Prime Minister, the challenges he faces, the sort of relationship he will seek with India, China and the USA, this is an interview I suggest you should watch. To help you, I enclose at the bottom a list of the key questions put to Mr. Kanak Mani Dixit. Here are the questions:- 1) Balendra Shah and his Rashtriya Swatantra Party have swept to a landslide majority. Was that expected or are you a bit surprised by the scale of their victory? And what is their precise tally of seats at the moment? 2) Did Balendra Shah and the RSP get overwhelming support from Nepal’s Gen Z or was it across the entire population? 3) What role has social media played in Balendra Shah and the RSP’s victory? 4) I notice that former prime ministers like K. P. Sharma Oli and Madhav Nepal have been defeated and although Prachanda has won his daughter has lost. Is this a clear sign that Nepal has bid goodbye to the old guard and a new generation is set to rule the country? 5) Now I believe Nepal has had 14 governments in the last 18 years. With his enormous majority am I right in saying that Balendra Shah is likely to be the first Prime Minister to serve his full term in almost two decades? 6) We in India are curious to know more about Balendra Shah. All we know is that he’s a former rapper and a former Mayor of Kathmandu. What more can you tell me about him? 7) Tell me about his background. Newspaper reports in India suggest his father, Ram Narayan Shah, was a government ayurveda practitioner and his mother, Dhruvadevi, a homemaker. He will be Nepal’s first Madhesi PM. 8) With this huge majority expectations must be sky high. What are the key challenges Balendra Shah, who’s just 35, will face as Prime Minister? 9) One of the key themes Balendra Shah has pursued as a rapper is corruption. How difficult will it be for him to tackle that issue now that he will soon be Prime Minister? 10) The RSP has committed itself to creating 1.2 million jobs, doubling national income and starting health insurance. This won’t be easy. How confident are you the new government will deliver? Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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