Two former Nepali prime ministers to skip polls after houses damaged during riots

When Nepal goes to the polls on March 5, two constituencies along India’s open borders – Dadirdulla, which borders Champarvat in Uttarakhand, and Eelam, which borders Darjeeling in West Bengal – will lose the people who have defined them for decades. Former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Jhala Nath Khanal have stepped down following violent Gen Z protests against the two leaders and their residences. For the first time since the restoration of multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, neither Deuba nor Khanal are vying for seats that have become synonymous with their identities.Deuba, a five-time prime minister and senior leader of the Nepali Congress party, did not contest against Dadirdullah. This has not happened since 1991. His exit comes after turmoil within the Nepali Congress party. The faction led by Gagan Thapa sacked him as party chairman at a special convention, and Nepal’s Election Commission later recognized Thapa’s faction as the official leadership. On the eastern border, former prime minister and senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) Khanal was also absent from the vote. He represented Ilam-1 for multiple terms spanning several decades. During the same wave of riots, Khanal’s residence in Ilam was also attacked. Arson incidents were common at the premises and serious injuries were reported at the home. However, the violence cut across party lines and highlighted broader public anger. Khanal later informed the party leadership that he would not contest the election and said he wanted to leave space for young leaders in Eelam.