The Chameleon’s Gambit: Survival Over Substance in Nepal’s Politics
A chameleon changes color to adapt to the physical environment around it—more often than not to save itself, not because it loves the environment.
Following the September 2025 fall of the government, Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa successfully leveraged the 'reformer' label to seize leadership from Sher Bahadur Deuba. But while the face has changed, the soul of the party remains the same: a bastion of Khas-Arya privilege. Despite the rhetoric of a 'New Nepal,' the upcoming 2026 elections reveal a familiar reality, with over 52% of the party’s tickets handed to Khas-Arya males, leaving marginalized groups like Dalits with a near-invisible 0.6% representation.
