Kathmadnu, March 11 -- A dramatic shift in the country's electoral landscape has dismantled many long-standing political bastions, delivering unexpected defeats to several senior leaders and established political parties across the nation. Constituencies that had long been dominated either by a single party or by the same leader for decades have seen their political equations overturned in the House of Representatives elections held on March 5.

In several provinces, voters have rejected familiar faces and political legacies, allowing new contenders-particularly from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)-to secure landslide victories. Candidates widely expected to win before the polls were held not only lost but, in many cases, lagged far be...