Kathmandu-5 Set for Triangular Clash: ‘Virgin Contestant’ Adhikari Challenges Veterans Paudel and Pokhrel

KATHMANDU — The final list of candidates for Kathmandu-5 has been officially confirmed for the upcoming March 2026 House of Representatives election, locking in a high-stakes triangular contest. The race will pit political debutante Nisha Adhikari, running as a “virgin contestant” for the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party, against two formidable veterans: incumbent Pradip Paudel of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML heavyweight Ishwar Pokhrel. This confirmation ends weeks of speculation regarding the final lineup—particularly concerning the CPN-UML ticket—and sets the stage for a battle between a fresh, scandal-free newcomer and established leaders grappling with significant political baggage.

Nisha Adhikari, a prominent actor and mountaineer who summited Mt. Everest in 2013, enters the political arena with the “battery” election symbol. As a “virgin contestant”—a term denoting her status as a complete newcomer with zero prior legislative or administrative history—Adhikari presents a clean slate in a constituency weary of traditional governance disputes. Having received her party registration in November 2025, she characterizes this move as a “second innings” focused on national service. Her platform is heavily informed by the “Gen Z” political wave and her participation in the “Enough is Enough” protests during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has publicly countered skepticism regarding her lack of experience by asserting her intent to “occupy her own space,” independent of the established political machinery.

Facing her is the constituency’s incumbent, Pradip Paudel, whose candidacy is now ratified despite his recent contentious exit from the cabinet. Paudel, who defeated Ishwar Pokhrel by more than 5,000 votes in the 2022 election, resigned as Minister of Health and Population on September 9, 2025. His resignation was precipitated by a heated cabinet dispute with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli over the government’s ban on social media platforms following the “Gen Z Protests.” Paudel’s recent tenure also carries the weight of a May 2025 controversy, in which his suggestion that foreign nations pay a “royalty” for employing Nepali doctors was condemned by the National Doctors’ Association as treating medical professionals like commodities.

The third confirmed contender is former Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokhrel, who has secured the CPN-UML ticket despite significant internal marginalization. In January 2026, party chair KP Sharma Oli stripped Pokhrel of his leadership role at the Policy and Research Institute, replacing him with Bishnu Rimal in a move widely seen as sidelining rivals. Pokhrel enters the race carrying substantial reputational liabilities, most notably his implication in the “Omni Scandal” involving inflated COVID-19 medical procurement rates and persistent allegations regarding favorable treatment of business conglomerates such as Yeti Holdings.

With the candidate list finalized, Kathmandu-5 has become a focal point of the March 2026 election. The electorate now faces a distinct choice between Adhikari’s unblemished but untested “clean slate” and the experienced yet controversy-laden records of Paudel and Pokhrel.