Family assaulted during riots, ex-PMs Deuba, Khanal skip Nepal polls

Pithoragarh: When Nepal votes on March 5, two constituencies along India's open border — Dadeldhura adjoining Uttarakhand's Champawat and Ilam bordering West Bengal's Darjeeling — will be missing the men who defined them for decades. Former prime ministers Sher Bahadur Deuba and Jhala Nath Khanal have stepped aside in the wake of violent Gen Z protests that targeted both leaders and their residences.For the first time since restoration of multiparty democracy in the early 1990s, neither Deuba nor Khanal is in the fray from seats that had become synonymous with their political identities. In both constituencies, electoral outcomes were long viewed as predictable, anchored by the personal dominance of leaders who rose to prominence in Nepal's post-monarchy political order.Deuba, five-time PM and senior leader of Nepali Congress, is not contesting from Dadeldhura. It had never happened since 1991. The far-western constituency, tied economically and socially to neighbouring Uttarakhand through migration, trade and kinship networks, remained his political bastion for nearly 40 years.His withdrawal followed internal upheaval within Nepali Congress. A faction led by Gagan Thapa removed him from party presidency at a special convention, and Nepal Election Commission later recognised the Thapa faction as the official leadership. Though Deuba initially indicated he intended to seek re-election, he stepped aside during the party's restructuring. A senior party leader told Nepali media that he withdrew "to avoid sending the wrong message in case he was denied a ticket".The political churn deepened after the Sept 2025 Gen Z protests escalated into clashes, vandalism and arson across multiple districts. Demonstrators stormed residences of senior leaders seen as symbols of an entrenched political class. Deuba and his wife, Aarzoo Rana Deuba, were physically assaulted; widely circulated videos showed both bleeding as security personnel escorted them away. The episode marked one of the most visible confrontations between protesters and Nepal's established leadership.On the eastern frontier, Khanal — former PM and senior leader of Nepal Communist Party (UML) — is also absent from the ballot. He had represented Ilam-1 over multiple terms spanning several decades. Ilam, known for its tea estates and close cultural linkages with Darjeeling across the border, formed the eastern anchor of his political base.During the same wave of unrest, Khanal's residence in Ilam came under attack. Incidents of arson were widespread at the premises, and serious injuries were reported within his household. The violence, though, cut across party lines, underscoring broader public anger. Khanal later informed party leadership that he would not contest this election, stating he wished to leave space for younger leaders in Ilam.Political observers said the protests reflected mounting frustration among younger voters and party workers demanding leadership renewal. What distinguishes this election is not merely the retirement of two veterans, but the context in which it has occurred — internal party realignments converging with public unrest.