Nepal elections, December

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Very interesting news in Nepal: the two big Communist parties, the Marxist-Leninist and the Maoist-Centre, along with a minor party, Naya Shakti, will merge. The Maoists have therefore terminated their working relationship with Congress, who for their part are forming a right-wing Democratic Alliance with alll the various minor parties.

As always in Nepal, the influence of the two giants that surround it will be key. The Communists will probably be more favourable to Beijing, the Democratic Alliance to New Delhi. There has been a lot of intrigue and prime ministerial turnover this past parliament, so expect to see a lot of drama.

[Intell]

An interesting political development is the shift (not to be over-exaggerated) of the nepali brahmin middle class from Congress to the UML due to the politics of nationalism (india sucks, china better etc. This would mean, that sect of the population could vote for the grouping that actually has maoists in them, this is aided by a more mobile college educated population- (their parents are also educated though) , who are more likely to vote for the UML than their parents.

I mean it's weird how this is similar to Europe and the rise of Corbyn in more middle class areas.

- Middle class in nepali terms obviously, which at most is upper-working class but still.

[Intell]

Left Alliance on set to win an overwhelming win.  It's sad that Rabindra Mishra (who contested KTM-1) lost to Congress, the few seats that they managed to win.

https://election.ekantipur.com/?lng=eng

[Antonio the Sixth]

Nepali politics are fascinating.