Nepal, Feb. 24 -- Winning direct election tickets remains a challenge for Dalit candidates in Nepal's political landscape. The challenge is even steeper for Dalit women. In the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) snap polls, Bimala BK from Bardiya Constituency-2, representing CPN-UML, stands out as the only Dalit woman contesting under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system.

The Dalit-friendly Election Campaign notes that while several women have secured proportional representation seats, BK is the sole Dalit woman in the direct electoral race. Although a few Dalit women had previously received FPTP tickets from the CPN-Maoist in elections held after the Second People's Movement, this time, BK, is the only Dalit woman candidate fielde...