Nepal, Feb. 11 -- On the sidelines of the Kantipur Conclave 2026, one question surfaced repeatedly: Beyond merely legitimising the Fall Protest, what is this election actually about? The answer remains elusive.

This election is not about competing ideologies, nor is it about organisational strength, resource mobilisation, or even the personal virtues and vices of the main contenders. In a political landscape where most parties sound alike-recycling familiar promises of nationalism, stability, and prosperity-clear unique selling propositions are in short supply. What remains, and what increasingly defines the contest, is the battle of narratives: Who tells the most convincing story about the past they want to bury, the present they claim ...