Kathmandu/New Delhi, March 6 -- The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) appeared to be heading for a sweeping breakthrough in Nepal's parliamentary election, taking commanding leads in 49 of the 165 constituencies counted so far and leaving the country's traditional political forces trailing well behind.
Early trends indicated that stalwarts from the established parties could face unexpected defeats. Senior figures such as K.P. Oli, Minendra Prasad Rijal, Ishwar Pokhrel, Bishnu Prasad Poudel and Bimalendra Nidhi were all seen struggling in their respective constituencies as the vote count progressed.
The momentum suggested that the RSP's bell symbol had resonated across the country-from major urban centres to remote mountain districts and the ...