Politician-turned-journalist and Prime TV owner Rishi Dhamala, running for the Aam Janata Party, has fallen well behind in early vote counts in Rautahat-4. Out of 5,092 votes counted, Dhamala has secured only 10 votes.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Ganesh Paudel leads with 2,205 votes, followed by Nepali Congress’ Dev Prasad Timalsena with 692 votes and Nepali Communist Party’s Ram Kumar Bhattarai in third with 636 votes.

Dhamala attracted attention with unconventional campaign methods, demonstrating local skills such as making sweets, cutting and carrying sugarcane, operating tractors and bicycles, and engaging directly with voters by placing garlands on supporters, helping raise funds for patients, and visiting street food stalls. Despite these efforts, the early count shows him trailing far behind.