RSP's Sudan Gurung Breaks Congress-Maoist Monopoly in Gorkha-1 Election

Ratopati March 09, 2026

RSP's Sudan Gurung Breaks Congress-Maoist Monopoly in Gorkha-1 Election

Pokhara. In Gorkha-1, where Congress and Maoists (now CPN) used to alternate winning elections, an unexpected result emerged this time. As across the country, a candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was victorious in Gorkha-1 as well.

His victory breaks the alternating legacy of Congress and the Communists in Gorkha-1. Congress won here in 2048, 2051, 2056, and 2079 BS, while the Maoists (now Communist Party) won in 2064, 2070, and 2074 BS. Sudan Gurung of the RSP won by a margin of nearly double the votes.

Gurung secured 29,886 votes, while the closest competitor, Prem Kumar Khatri of the Nepali Congress, received 15,398 votes. Hari Raj Adhikari of the Nepali Communist Party garnered 11,124 votes. Ramchandra Lamichhane of UML received 3,732 votes, and the votes secured by other candidates were not noteworthy.

The elected representative from Gorkha-1 is the same Sudan who gained national and international attention during the 'Genji' movement. As much as Sudan's victory is talked about, the pile of allegations against him is equally mysterious and controversial. Initially stating he would not enter politics, he raised the voice for good governance and ending corruption during the Genji movement.

He not only led the movement but also played a role in the formation of the government after the movement and in the subsequent elections. Although it was initially stated that a government would be formed without ministers, those who became ministers resigned en masse to contest the parliamentary elections.

Then-Energy and Physical Infrastructure Minister Kulman Ghising, Communication Minister Jagadish Kharel, Education Minister Mahabir Pun, Sports Minister Bablu Gupta, and others competed in the elections. All of them won. Amidst the dilemma of whether to keep or abolish the constitution, experts kept complaining that the Sudan government was misled into dissolving parliament even after the election date was announced.

At a felicitation program in Pokhara, he stated that experts had misled them into dissolving parliament. He repeated this on many other public occasions. Specifically targeting Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, he stated that the parliament was dissolved because of Aryal and that it was wrong.

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“He misled us as a legal advisor and is now sitting comfortably chatting while holding a position stained with blood,” he had said. “He could have advised that the demands of Genji would not be met if this constitution remained as it is and could not be amended. He did not give us correct advice.” His argument was that elections should only be held after immediately amending this constitution. However, the party he represented won enough seats to form a government, and he became one of its members.

Born into an ordinary family in the extremely remote Chumnubri of Gorkha, he spent much of his time in Kathmandu. After moving from Chitwan to Kathmandu, he rose to fame as DJ Sudan while working at a call center in Thamel. In 2012, he started the 'Theme Party' by opening OMG Club, where he not only earned money but also built networks with high-ranking officials. At that time, the devastating earthquake of 2072 BS struck. Sudan felt compelled to join the rescue efforts. Following advice from Dr. Sanduk Ruit, he established the 'Hamro Nepal' organization and began providing aid.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked meticulously on managing oxygen and ambulances. However, there are allegations that the aid received during that time was opaque. Nevertheless, Sudan is an example of how the continuous struggle of a person from an ordinary background can lead to ascending to power. Another allegation linked to Sudan is his “closeness with Free Tibet.” However, he has repeatedly tried to refute this. When questioned about this, Sudan says, “There is a tendency in Nepal to view people with surnames like Gurung and Lama with suspicion. This is wrong.”

In any case, DJ Sudan, who spent a long time changing music tracks in clubs, has today changed the political track of the country. Following the movement led by him, the government changed, new elections were announced nationwide, and the election results were such that no party that was in government before the movement could return to power for the next 5 years.