Kathmandu, March 8 -- The fresh electoral mandate has dealt a heavy blow to the country's long-dominant political parties, signalling a sharp decline in public trust towards forces that have remained at the centre of national politics for decades.

Major parties including the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) and several Madhesh-based parties appear to be shrinking significantly as a result of the election.

The outcome of the election has shaken the political establishment, raising profound questions about why voters appear to have turned away from the parties that have dominated national politics for years. Incoming results from both the first-past-the-post and proportional representation systems suggest tha...