“I Had to Intervene When the Voice for Change Was Ignored”: Gagan Thapa

Kathmandu – Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has said that he was compelled to intervene after repeated appeals to the party leadership to carry the message of change went unheard. Speaking during an interaction with youths, he made it clear that this step was not taken under normal circumstances.

Referring to the voice for change raised by the “Gen Z movement,” Thapa said the leadership should have taken it seriously. “I appealed to convey the message of change—sometimes with folded hands, sometimes by raising questions—but when it was not listened to, I had to intervene. This is not a normal situation,” he said.

Recalling that he has contested and won elections multiple times from Kathmandu–4, Thapa said that this time he consciously chose to move to the Madhesh region. “Until it was decided whether my candidacy would be from Kathmandu or Sarlahi, other parties also could not finalize their candidates,” he said. “I had already thought of going to Madhesh in the previous election, but at that time I could not muster the courage.”

Emphasizing that national politics remains incomplete without an emotional connection with Madhesh, Thapa stated, “Unless one connects with Madhesh not just by words but from the heart, one cannot truly represent the whole of Nepal.”

Thapa, who is preparing to contest the upcoming House of Representatives election from Sarlahi–4, also committed to establishing his own parliamentary office there. He said he would focus on employment generation, as well as the education and health sectors in Sarlahi. “I will use the national and international networks I built while serving as minister in the fields of education and health to create opportunities for the youths of Sarlahi,” he assured.

Thapa’s decision to leave his former constituency and contest from Madhesh is being seen as a meaningful signal not only within the Nepali Congress but also in national politics. His move is increasingly being analyzed as a message of change, inclusiveness, and national unity.