ISAS Insights

The provincial and parliamentary elections in Nepal in December 2017 witnessed the leftist alliance of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist and the Communist Party of Nepal sweeping into power. The results were a disappointment for the ruling Nepali Congress which won a mere 23 seats and was relegated to third position. There is a general belief that the elections will usher long-term stability, reconstruction and economic development into the country. This paper explores the reasons for the coalition’s landslide victory and the ramifications on Nepal’s foreign policy discourse with China and India.