Kathmandu, March 8 -- Following the Gen Z movement in September last year, the government led by KP Sharma Oli was displaced, Parliament was dissolved, and new elections were scheduled for March 5. Since then, a shift had been brewing in the mind of Amresh Kumar Singh.

Internal conflict over leadership was peaking within the Nepali Congress. Singh's relationship with former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and current president Gagan Thapa was strained, while he was closer to leader Shekhar Koirala. At the time, Singh said, "If Shekhar Koirala becomes Congress president, I will take a ticket from Congress. If not, I will contest under the bell symbol of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)."

Sceptical about winning as an independent for...