KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 19 At just 26, Manish Khanal is vying for a seat in the House of Representatives from Nawalpur (Nawalparasi East, also called Bardaghat–Susta East) Constituency-2 for the March 5 polls. He is young, holds a BALLB degree, and is currently enrolled in the master's programme at the Central Department of Political Science. When asked what inspired him to run for office, Khanal said that the election took place immediately following the protests on Bhadra 23 and 24 (September 8 and 9), in which he actively took part and raised concerns about anti-corruption and good governance. He also mentioned how he witnessed the state's repression of his protests, which included the murders and shootings of his friends. 'I was also the one who drafted the 10-point agreement between Gen Z representatives and the government. So, I understand that movement from the inside,' he told THT. 'I am a law student and previously worked as the secretariat chief to Asim Shah, a member of parliament from the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the dissolved House of Representatives, which gave me close exposure to the duties, powers and limitations of an MP.' From that experience, he claims that he has realised many of those who have run and won so far have not fulfilled those responsibilities properly. 'So with my legal background, my leadership in the protests, my role in drafting the agreement and my understanding of parliamentary practice, I felt it necessary to step forward as an alternative,' he says. Speaking of his campaign, he stated that there is a lot of excitement in Nawalpur Constituency-2, as people believe they have found a young, educated candidate who understands the law and parliament, and the overall response has been very positive. One factor that makes it easier for him to run in this election is that he is a youth candidate in a constituency where old parties have been rotating power like musical chairs, causing widespread public frustration and a desire for change. 'Coming forward as an educated local youth has created a positive environment for me to go door-to-door,' he added. 'In one sentence, there is extreme frustration with the old parties and peak expectations from the new, which simplifies my campaign and generates positive responses.' However, the challenge after becoming an MP will be managing people's extremely high expectations, which include everything from large development projects to minor household issues being resolved. 'Right now, in the campaign, my challenges are that I am a Gen Z youth with no strong financial backing, and even though I am local, I may not yet know every micro-level geographical expectation in detail, but overall the experience is positive,' he said. Khanal, recalling how other candidates initially dismissed him, said, 'At first, they dismissed me as a weak candidate who would simply appear and disappear, so they did not approach me.' However, he now thinks that other candidates have already perceived him as having become a strong contender. 'Instead of criticising them, I want to thank them for their efforts and emphasise that it is now time for youth leadership because their pace of work has not been adequate,' he said. 'While some leaders and supporters of opposing parties do post comments and status updates on social media, which is common in today's environment, they have not directly approached me with offers.' There are 18 candidates in Nawalpur Constituency-2. Among them, 12 are from political parties, and six are independent. The candidates of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the Nepali Congress, the Nepali Communist Party and the CPN-UML appear to be the major rivals in Nawalpur Constituency-2. According to the District Election Office, there are 131,445 registered voters in this area, comprising 68,370 men, 63,072 women, and three members of sexual and gender minorities.