Kathmandu, Jan. 26 -- As the country heads to the March 5 snap parliamentary elections, politics is no longer the exclusive domain of party cadres and career politicians. Business leaders, journalists, actors, social media influencers, and sports figures have stepped into the political arena, making the upcoming polls a diverse and unpredictable contest.

Following last September's deadly anti-corruption Gen Z revolt, which resulted in 77 deaths and toppled the powerful Congress-UML coalition government, the snap polls organised by a civilian government have attracted a wide range of new entrants.

Businessman Birendra Basnet has launched a political party, though he is not contesting the elections himself. Actress Rima Bishwakarma, journ...