Nepal, Oct. 20 -- Nepal's journey with political parties began with a dream of participatory democracy. In the mid 20th century, courageous groups, such as the Praja Parishad established in 1936, challenged the oppressive Rana rule, leading to a revolution in 1951. This sprouted Nepal's first major political force, the Nepali Congress (NC), which promised a future where multiple parties could govern together. This period marked the birth of formal party politics, with the NC emerging as the primary democratic force, promising a new era of multi-party governance.

The promise of 1951 was quickly suppressed as the monarchy reasserted absolute control, banned parties and introduced the partyless Panchayat system in 1960. For the next 30 year...