Upreti breaks leftist stronghold

By Anil Parajuli,Hetauda, Mar. 14: Prashant Upreti, who began his political journey by winning in a constituency long dominated by leftist parties, is only 25 years old. Elected as the youngest Member of Parliament from Makawanpur–2 in the House of Representatives Election 2026, Upreti not only broke what had been considered a fortress of leftist politics since 1990 but did so by a significant margin. While Upreti secured 30,050 votes, Mahesh Bartaula of the CPN (UML), who won the previous election, received 18,846 votes.

Born on May 23, 2000, Upreti is currently studying Leadership and Management under the Faculty of Education at Kathmandu University. After he joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party and filed his candidacy, his father, Ramchandra Upreti, ended a 34-year association with the CPN (UML).

Upreti previously ran a travel agency in partnership in Thamel, Kathmandu. He also worked as a social studies teacher. While working in the secretariat of then Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah, he developed the belief that young people should also succeed in politics.

A graduate of the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management with a Bachelor of Travel and Tourism Management (BTTM), Upreti completed his Grade 12 in Management from Global College of Management, Kathmandu, in 2018. He finished his secondary education at United Secondary English Boarding School in Makawanpur in 2016.

Upreti said his main objective is to address the problems faced by villages in his constituency. Thanking voters for their support, he said he would prioritise raising rural issues in Parliament.

“I will raise my voice in Parliament with priority for solving village problems,” he said. “My role is to promote good governance and create an environment where ordinary citizens can receive services easily and on time,” added Upreti.

He said he would focus on encouraging youth entrepreneurship and self-employment, addressing agricultural challenges, reducing crop damage caused by monkeys and ensuring timely fertiliser supplies for farmers.

Upreti also plans to take initiatives to resolve issues related to unorganised settlements and landlessness in the Manahari area of Makawanpur–2, as well as problems concerning buffer zones.

He said he would promote self-reliance programmes to address poverty in the remote Raksirang area and prioritise disaster risk reduction, particularly because the area is prone to lightning strikes.

Upreti added that drug abuse among youth is another concern. “Some young people from my constituency are serving sentences in Bhimphedi Prison in drug-related cases,” he said. 

“I want to help address the problem of drug addiction and create an environment where young people do not feel compelled to fall into such habits,” he added.

He also aims to develop tourism potential in the municipalities of Manahari, Raksirang, Kailash and Thaha, which are connected to Chitwan.