As the country heads to the March 5 snap parliamentary elections, politics is no longer the exclusive domain of party cadres and career politicians. Business leaders, journalists, actors, social media influencers, and sports figures have stepped into the political arena, making the upcoming polls a diverse and unpredictable contest.

Following last September’s deadly anti-corruption Gen Z revolt, which resulted in 77 deaths and toppled the powerful Congress-UML coalition government, the snap polls organised by a civilian government have attracted a wide range of new entrants.

Businessman Birendra Basnet has launched a political party, though he is not contesting the elections himself. Actress Rima Bishwakarma, journalist Rishi Dhamala and his wife actress Eliza Gautam, have also joined the fray. The list of new entrants continues to grow.

From journalist Jagdish Kharel, who moved into politics after serving in the interim government as communications minister, to former energy minister and Nepal Electricity Authority chief Kulman Ghising, and Mahabir Pun, a recipient of the Magsaysay Award who served as interim education minister under the current interim government, the spectrum of entrants is strikingly broad. Social media influencers, singers, and sports personalities have also joined the contest, showing the deepening reach of politics across Nepali society.

Why has politics begun to draw individuals from every walk of life, and why do so many feel they are more capable than the existing political leadership? Does entering politics require any specific qualification, or does success in another field guarantee political success too? Ultimately, why has Nepali society become so deeply politicised?

Observers say the excessive politicisation of Nepal is not merely a result of politicians’ increasingly corrupt behavior and failure to deliver, but reflects a system where survival, development, and social mobility are often tied to political patronage.

As a result, even social and economic issues are viewed through a political lens, leading to a highly polarised, yet often dysfunctional, society, they say.

Do individuals who are performing well in their own fields really need to join politics in order to contribute to the society, or can they serve the nation more effectively by strengthening the sectors they already excel in?

Sucheta Pyakuryal, a professor of political science, describes the current trend as “a bubble created by social media.” At the same time, referring to the theory of participation and contestation outlined in Polyarchy, proposed in 1971 by American political scientist Robert A Dahl, she argues that an increase in political participation and contestation is a positive sign for any democratic country.

However, she adds that the way politicisation of nearly every sector today is driven by a desire to capture power and act as brokers of influence. Nepali politics, she argues, is no longer guided by ideology, but is instead moving forward through bargaining and haggling over positions.

“Politics is meant to formulate policies that address problems seen in society,” Pakayuryal told the Post. “However, in recent times, the way politics has been glamourised has also drawn towards it people from different fields, who are attracted more by the spectacle rather than the substance.”

In her view, the rise of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in the last parliamentary elections, and the way its leaders presented themselves loudly and assertively both in and outside Parliament, may have encouraged others to imagine themselves in similar positions and be drawn to politics.

Rima Bishwakarma who entered politics through Ghising’s Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) and later became a proportional representation candidate from the RSP after the parties’ short-lived merger, offers her own perspective.

Bishwakarma does not claim to be a better leader, but says she is determined to take risks for meaningful political progress.

“We are fully aware of what should not be done, and we are determined not to repeat the mistakes of failed leaders. This ensures accountability, builds confidence, and paves the way for meaningful change,” she says.

For the past 30 years, she argues, the political landscape has been largely stagnant, failing to evolve in ways that meaningfully address the challenges faced by the public.

“Nepali politics is more focused on winning elections than solving long-term problems. It relies on vote banks,” Bishwakarma says. “I myself have been a victim of this and have been deeply frustrated by this never changing political practice.”

She says the Gen Z movement was a trigger for the change she wanted to see, and she decided to be the voice of the voiceless and to challenge the concentration of power among a few old-guard leaders.

Political analyst and Post columnist CK Lal says that if people from various walks of life feel they can contribute to society by joining politics, there is no harm in doing so. It would be unjust to assume that people coming from different fields all come with vested interests, says Lal.

According to Lal, the politicisation of Nepali society started largely after the abolition of the monarchy and gained momentum with the first constituency assembly election and subsequent promulgation of constitution in 2015.

“This trend will continue for a few more years until the people who make lateral entry into politics without understanding the basic nuances of it either adapt or drop out,” Lal told the Post. “Earlier, there was a sense of mission attached to politics. Today, the low cost of entry and high cost of exit is encouraging people from different fields to join.”

But what impact might it have on society when, in a developing country like Nepal, people show greater interest in politics than in other professions?

Former Maoist Centre leader Barshaman Pun, who is now affiliated to the Nepali Communist Party (a pre-election amalgam of several leftist parties and groups), discussed issues related to the Gen Z movement in an unpublished interview with the Post in October.

Pun said that after the Gen Z movement, and until just days before the Karki-led government was formed, the country was without a government. In that period, he noted, they had an opportunity to understand the consequences of extreme politicisation of society.

“We have politicised society to such an extent,” Pun said, “that there was no space left for an independent person to come forward and make a public appeal to objectively address what was happening in the country.”

Pyakuryal also warns that the current wave of politicisation has turned leaders into commodities and voters into consumers, a trend whose long-term consequences will ultimately fall on society itself.