After the Gen Z protest that rocked Nepal and forced then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, tomorrow the state goes for the first general elections. And this is the right time to look at the powerful families that have been and still are in politics.

Youth leader Gagan Thapa in PM race

In the Nepali Congress clan, the Thapa are one of the most influential families. For over a decade, senior leader Arjun Narasingha KC has been in active politics, he won the last election from Nuwakot. Even his son-in-law Gagan Thapa, among the young leaders was the former Health Minister and General Secretary of the Nepali Congress. And for this election, Gagan Thapa is the prime ministerial candidate.

Deuba-Rana family have remained in power over a decade or more

The Deuba-Rana family has been dominant in Nepal. Sher Bahadur Deuba was the former Prime Minister and dominated Dadeldhura-1 for over a decade, he held the constituency there until September 2025 when Parliament was dissolved. Arzu Rana Deuba, wife of Sher Bahadur Deuba has been very active and has created her own identity. She was the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and also headed the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Cooperatives and Natural Resources.

Koirala have shaped the democratic politics

The oldest and one of the most influential families in Nepal is the Koirala family. This family has played a pivotal role in shaping Nepal’s democratic politics. It all started with Krishna Prasad Koirala, B. P. Koirala and Girija Prasad Koirala, the latter two served as Prime Minister of Nepal. Currently, B.P. Koirala’s son Shashanka Koirala is a prominent figure, he contests from Navalparasi-1. In the last election, he retained his seat for 4^th consecutive years. The Koirala family has a strong hold in the Morang constituency; Shekhar Koirala remains dominant there.

The Communist Dahal party

The Communist Party of Nepal has also been dominant like other families, the leadership revolves around the party chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda. Dahal has been Prime Minister of Nepal three times, and for tomorrow’s general elections, he is contesting from Rukum East. Dahal’s daughter-in-law is also very active; she won Kanchanpur-1 in the 2017 elections.