Dol Prasad (DP) Aryal of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was declared elected unopposed as Speaker of the House of Representatives after emerging as the sole nominee for the post.

At Sunday’s meeting, senior-most member Arjun Narsingha KC formally declared Aryal the Speaker, unopposed. His candidacy, filed on Friday, was backed by RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane and supported by ministers Swarnim Wagle, Sobita Gautam and Sunil Lamsal.

Aryal, who was elected from Kathmandu-9 in the 2026 general elections, becomes the 10th Speaker of the lower house and the first non-communist to hold the position in 18 years.

With the Speaker now in place, attention has shifted to the deputy Speaker election. Under Article 91 of the Constitution, either the Speaker or deputy Speaker must be a woman, and members of different political parties must hold the two positions.

Political parties have begun discussions over the post, with the Nepali Congress signalling its claim as the main opposition. At the same time, the Shram Sanskriti Party has also staked its claim and plans to field a female candidate.

Given the RSP’s strong presence in the House, its backing is expected to be decisive in selecting the next deputy Speaker, a post that also holds influence within the Constitutional Council.