UML Finalises 16 PR Lawmakers

The CPN (UML), the third-largest party in the newly elected House of Representatives, on Saturday, March 14, finalised the names of 16 lawmakers under the proportional representation (PR) system.

Those representing indigenous nationalities include Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’, Kul Bhakta Shakya, Bhumika Subba and Ganga Devi Shrestha.

From the Khas Arya cluster, Padma Aryal, Tuka Bhadra Hamal and Yashoda Kumari Baral have been selected under the women’s category, and Guru Prasad Baral and Pushpa Raj Kandel under the the men category.

Kripa Ram Rana Tharu has been chosen from the Tharu cluster. Bishnu Maya B.K. and Nita Ghatani represent the Dalit community.

From the Madhesi women’s category, Ringla Yadav and Yashoda Kumari Yadav have been selected, while Chandreshwar Mandal will represent Madhesi men. Sajida Siddiqui has been nominated from the Muslim women’s cluster.

In the March 5 parliamentary elections, the UML won nine seats under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system and secured about 1.45 million votes under the PR category. Nepal voted to elect the 275-member House of Representatives. Of the total seats, 165 were elected through the FPTP system and 110 under the PR system.

Under the FPTP system, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 125 seats, followed by Nepali Congress with 18, CPN (UML) with nine, the Nepali Communist Party with eight, Shram Sanskriti with three and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party with one seat. Independent candidate Mahabir Pun won from Myagdi.

In the PR category, RSP secured 57 seats getting 5.18 million PR votes, Nepali Congress 20, CPN (UML) 16, Nepali Communist Party nine, and Shram Sanskriti and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party four seats each.

With a total of 182 seats, RSP fell just two short of a two-thirds majority in the new House.

In the previous House dissolved in September 2025, CPN (UML) was the second-largest party with 78 seats — 44 under FPTP and 34 under PR — while Nepali Congress was the largest with 89. RSP was the fourth-largest party with 20 seats.

Under Nepal’s electoral law, a party must secure at least 3 percent of the valid PR votes to qualify for PR seats. It must also win at least one FPTP seat to gain recognition as a national party.

The new Lower House will have six national parties, including the Nepali Communist Party, the Shram Sanskriti Party led by Harka Raj Rai, and the Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Political parties are required to submit a closed list of PR candidates to the Election Commission before the election. The commission has asked parties to finalise their PR lawmakers in line with the list by Sunday, March 15.

The selection must follow an inclusive framework, ensuring representation of women, indigenous nationalities, Madhesis, Dalits, Tharus, Muslims and people from backward regions. The constitution requires political parties to ensure at least 33 percent women’s representation in the federal parliament.