KATHMANDU, Nov 26: In the general elections held on November 20, a total of 19 incumbent ministers have faced a humiliating defeat. The results so far shows that 19 ministers from the federal and seven provincial governments, who contested election under the First Past the Post (FPTP) electoral system for the members of the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies elections were defeated. Some of the ministers, who have become candidates, have yet to receive their results.
Five incumbent ministers of the federal government have been defeated. Among them are Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Jeevan Ram Shrestha, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Pampha Bhusal, Youth and Sports Minister Maheshwor Jung Gahatraj, Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Umakant Chaudhary and State Minister Umesh Shrestha.
Tourism Minister Shrestha, who was a candidate from the CPN (United Socialist) with the support of the ruling coalition, was defeated in Kathmandu- 8. He was defeated by Biraj Bhakta Shrestha of Ravi Lamichhane-led Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Similarly, energy minister Bhusal, a candidate from Lalitpur-3 from CPN (Maoist Center) with the support of the ruling coalition, was defeated by Dr Toshima Karki of RSP.
CPN-UML's Surya Dhakal defeated Sports Minister Gahatraj, who was a candidate from the Maoist Center in the House of Representatives election from Banke-1. Umakant Chaudhary, who is also the Joint General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, was defeated by CPN-UML's Achyut Prasad Mainali in Bara-1. State Minister Shrestha, who was a candidate for Chitwan-2 from Nepali Congress, was defeated by a wide margin by Ravi Lamichhane, Chairman of the RSP.
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Meanwhile, Information and Communication Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand are trailing behind in the ongoing vote counting.
Similarly, two ministers of Province 1 government have been defeated and one is trailing behind in the ongoing vote counting. Provincial Government Health Minister Jairam Yadav has been defeated by Amrit Aryal of Nepali Congress in Morang 5B. He was a candidate from the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP).
Likewise, Agriculture Minister Jhalak Bahadur Magar who was a candidate for Jhapa 4A from the Maoist Center was also defeated. He was defeated by UML's Radha Krishna Khanal.
Minister of Transport and Communications Upendra Prasad Ghimire, who is a candidate in Morang 1B from Unified Socialist, has fallen behind UML's Khadk Bahadur Basnet. According to the data of the Election Commission, he is behind 575 votes till the time of writing this news.
Four ministers of Madhesh provincial government have been defeated. Minister of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives Bijay Kumar Yadav, who was a candidate from JSP in Siraha 2A, was defeated by Sanjay Kumar Yadav of Janmat Party, while Finance Minister Shailendra Prasad Shah, who was a candidate in Saptari 2A from JSP, was also defeated. He was defeated by Janmat Party's Satish Kumar Singh.
Likewise, Yogendra Rai Yadav, who is the State Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives of the Madhesh government, has also been defeated. He was a candidate from JSP in Rautahat 1 B and was defeated by Krishna Prasad Yadav, president of Madhesh province of NC. Nagendra Yadav, Minister of State for Forests of the provincial government, has also been defeated in Rautahat 3 B. Independent candidate Keshavarai Chaudhary defeated Yadav who was a candidate from Unified Socialist.
Additionally, Minister of Labor, Employment and Transport of Bagmati Province Ghanshyam Dahal has been defeated in Chitwan 2A. He was elected from the Maoist party in this area last time and this time he became a candidate again. He was defeated by UML's Krishna Prasad Silwal. Ramji Baral, the incumbent finance minister of the Gandaki province government, was also defeated. He was defeated by UML's Damodar Paudel Bairagi, who was a candidate for the House of Representatives in Kaski 3A from the Maoist Center.
Similarly, Forest and Environment Minister of Lumbini Province Government Surendra Bahadur Hamal, Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Sahasram Yadav and Industry, Commerce and Supply Minister Ajay Shahi were also deprived of becoming members of the Province Assembly. Forest Minister Hamal was a NC candidate in Banke 2B. He was defeated by Adesh Kumar Agarwal of JSP. Physical Minister Yadav has been defeated by UML's Madhusudan Sharan Chaudhary in Kapilvastu 1B.
He won this area from the Federal Socialist Forum last time and this time he was a candidate from NC. Likewise, Industry Minister Shahi from Nawalparasi (Bardghat Susta West) was an independent candidate in the House of Representatives. Binod Chaudhary of NC has been elected in that area. Shahi is ranked seventh.
Padam Bahadur Rokaya, the incumbent Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development Minister of the Karnali Province Government, has also been defeated. Rokaya, who was a candidate from Unified Socialist, was defeated by UML's Tekraj Pachhai. Similarly, two incumbent ministers of the Far West Province government have also been defeated. Minister of Internal Affairs and Law, who is also the leader of the NC parliamentary party, Ran Bahadur Rawal has been defeated in Kailali 1 (B). He was defeated by Lakshman Kishore Chaudhary of the Nagarik Unmukti Party.
Likewise, Social Development Minister Govindra Bohra, who was a candidate for Dadeldhura Provincial Assembly (B) from NC, was also defeated. He was defeated by Tara Prasad Joshi who rebelled from CPN (Unified Socialist) and ran as an independent candidate.
