Kathmandu  Nov 10: With less than a week remaining for political parties to register for the House of Representatives election, 19 new parties have submitted applications so far. These applicants include not only people from traditional political backgrounds but also Gen-Z groups, businessmen, former Members of Parliament (MPs), and former ambassadors.

• Birendra Bahadur Basnet, a businessman and operator of Buddha Air, has applied to register the Gatishil Loktantrik Party (Dynamic Democratic Party), with Professor Dinesh Prasai named as the chairperson.
• Similarly, Navaraj Subedi, a former ambassador, has applied to register the Janayug Party (People’s Era Party). Subedi, who was once an MP for the Janamorcha and moved through Maoist, Naya Shakti, and eventually JSP, had served as the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
• Yogendra Mandal, a sitting MP, is also among those registering a new party. After failing to get a ticket from CPN-UML in the 2079 (2022) election, he ran as an independent candidate in Morang-5 and won. He has now applied to register the Rashtriya Urjashil Party (National Energetic Party).
• An application has also been filed for the registration of the Rashtriya Parivartan Party (National Change Party) led by Ajay Kumar Rai, which is considered a Gen-Z group. Some of its central members are from families of injured activists, and the remaining members are people from the Gen-Z age group. Likewise, an application has been submitted for a party named Rashtriya Gen-Z Party (National Gen-Z Party) led by Hira Prasad Seti.
• Netra Bikram Chand, who previously advocated for boycotting elections, has now applied to register the Communist Party Nepal.
• Gyanendra Bahadur Tamang, formerly associated with the Maoists, has registered the Ujyalo Nepal Party (Bright Nepal Party). Tamang, a teacher by profession, became active in social work after his retirement, close to Minister Kulman Ghising.
• Khagendra Sunar, whose recommendation for a ministerial post was withdrawn at the last minute, has registered Hamro Party Nepal (Our Party Nepal).
• Chandra Prakash Subedi, an activist for the construction of a beautiful Nepal, has applied to register the Sundar Nepal Nirman Party (Beautiful Nepal Construction Party), transforming his movement into a political party.
• Applications have also been filed for Rashtriya Yuwa Party Nepal (National Youth Party Nepal) by Himal Bahadur Chand, Rashtranirman Party (Nation Building Party) by Sabin Sigdel, Nagarik Sarbochchata (Citizen’s Supremacy) by Ratna Prasad Shrestha, and Rashtriya Swaraj Party (National Self-Rule Party) by Riyaz Ahmed Shekh.
• On Sunday alone, applications were submitted for Nagarik Aawaj Party (Citizen’s Voice Party) by Dr. Sundar Ram Bohara, Sarvabhouma Nagarik Party (Sovereign Citizen Party) by Ganesh Kumar Mandal, Nagarik Bachau Dal (Citizen Rescue Group) by Madhav Prasad Khatiwada, and Nepal Communist Party Bam Panthi Kendra (Nepal Communist Party Leftist Centre) by Rajkumar Kakshapathi belongs to Ghanshyam Bhusal.

There are already 125 political parties registered with the Election Commission (EC). Since the Gen-Z movement last Bhadra (August/September), 15 parties have applied for registration. Among them, the Shram Sanskriti Party (Labour Culture Party) led by Dharan Sub-Metropolitan Mayor Harka Raj Rai has already received its registration certificate.

The EC has published a schedule for parties wishing to participate in the House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 (March 5) to register. According to the published election schedule, parties must register between Mangsir 1 and 10 (November 17 to 26) for the House of Representatives election. EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai stated that the parties must obtain their registration certificate by Kartik 30 (November 15).