Former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai has withdrawn his candidacy from Gorkha constituency no 2, where he had filed his nomination from the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party.

Bhattarai decided to pull out of the race following a request from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which has fielded its general secretary Kabindra Burlakoti from the constituency.

Gorkha-2 also has candidates from other major parties, including Prakash Chandra Dawadi of the Nepali Congress, Lekhnath Neupane of the Nepali Communist Party, and CPN-UML’s Milan Gurung, who is also known as Chakre Milan.

Explaining his decision in a Facebook video, Bhattarai said his political journey had been driven by a lifelong concern over why Nepal remained trapped in underdevelopment and why generations of young people were forced to seek opportunities abroad. He said the political transformation achieved through decades of struggle, including the promulgation of the 2015 constitution, had completed the basic phase of democratisation but failed to deliver rapid economic and social change.

Bhattarai said recent youth-led protests had reinforced his belief that democracy would remain incomplete unless the country created dignified, productive jobs at home and addressed unresolved issues of transitional justice. He added that economic transformation must move faster to give meaning to political change.

He said he had initially decided not to contest the election and instead support progressive forces from outside Parliament. However, as political uncertainty persisted and geopolitical challenges intensified, he briefly reconsidered, believing parliamentary engagement could help shape foreign policy, constitutional reform, and economic policy.

Bhattarai said several leaders, well-wishers, and local residents later urged him to stay above party politics and play a broader, advisory role rather than contest as a candidate of a single party. Accepting that view, he said his role would be more effective outside Parliament given the country’s fluid political situation.

He said he would continue to support progressive and emerging political forces, including Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party and RSP, and work for national sovereignty, unity, peace process implementation, and economic prosperity. Bhattarai thanked his supporters, proposers, and well-wishers for their backing and said he would remain committed to public service.