If you spend an hour on social media, the picture of collective discontent in the country is clear. Dissatisfaction is rampant at all levels towards the weakness of education, administration, political parties, media, economic system and governance. Along with this, there is a growing fascination with 'unconventional' politicians and the 'popular narratives' they represent.

In this article, I will discuss about Nepal's alternative politics and the path it has taken under four subheadings:

The early waves of alternative politics

The demand for alternative politics was not new to Nepal . In the Constituent Assembly elections of 2013, the independent candidates of prudent Nepali especially attracted the young generation . The party's election symbol, the dog, became very popular on social media. Those candidates promised transparency and a new approach. Our party will protect or take care of the entire country as a dog protects or takes care of the house. 

But Discreet Nepali and its later forms have seriously lagged behind due to the lack of common long-term planning, internal divisions and poor strategy . Their failure mirrored the trajectory of other so-called alternatives in Nepal. Baburam Bhattarai's Naya Shakti Party claimed to represent a 'new power' in Nepali politics, but was derailed by weak organization and failed promises.

Maoists came forward in the first Constituent Assembly elections with slogans like 'We have seen everyone many times, let us see Maoists this time'. Similarly, the UML was trying to be an alternative, promising to challenge the growing influence of post-1990 capitalist politics, while the RP was trying to establish itself as a conservative alternative.

However, all these failed to meet the expectations of real change . Instead of being a credible alternative force, they often seem like a repainted version of mainstream politics, whose original purpose is to protect the interests of the elite. The word 'alternative' felt more like a temporary propaganda tactic than a real alternative.

The new generation of alternative leaders and the strategy of populism

Nepal is now witnessing the emergence of new political leaders, especially in urban areas. These leaders won the election and received an unprecedented popular vote. However, problems have started to appear in them too . People are disappointed with traditional political parties and have given opportunity to new faces. However, the behavior and policies of these new leaders have become controversial over time.

Today, a new generation of leaders is using public frustration to their advantage to undermine traditional structures . For example, the leadership of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RASWPA) showed signs of adopting a populist strategy from the beginning. They claimed that there was a problem in the provincial structure by not running for the provincial assembly. Similarly, they openly attacked mainstream politicians during their election campaigns.

The party got success in the elections based on the personality of the party president of RSVP and the disappointment of the common people. However, looking at the 2 years after the election, it seems that the party's strategy was mostly focused on short-term popularity rather than alternatives.

They targeted the traditional media over the party president's citizenship dispute. Recently, the leadership of RSVP staged a protest against the arrest of its president . They interpreted the case as an attack on their political party rather than due process being followed in the co-operative fraud case. Some of the party's top leaders criticized the current system by name and made fiery speeches to discredit the established institutions .

Similar strategy has been adopted by other new politicians . Most of the 'independent' leaders try to use the current political frustration to their advantage . They remain ambivalent on important policy issues and use popular discourse to support them . Such leaders are often hostile to their critics and try to rally the public to their cause.

This hostile approach has reached social media, making the environment even more intolerant. Supporters of these groups completely deny any dissent . Such a trend of deliberately increasing people's frustration and promoting it, instead of providing a solution, deepens distrust towards Nepal's political system . As a result, the problems that those movements claim to have come to solve will worsen.

This shows the strategy of making villains of a group of right-wing populist leaders who have emerged especially in western democracies, creating frustration towards the existing system and presenting themselves as 'protectors'.

The alliance of social influencers and populist leaders

The trend of social media has raised questions about traditional institutions and their credibility. 'Citizen-led' and supposedly 'independent' influencers are challenging institutions that emphasize fact-checking, accountability and credibility.

These influencers work with populist leaders to attack the system and incite the emotions of their supporters . This has created a dangerous cycle of fostering ideological divisions, spreading mistrust among the public and undermining the space for serious debate.

In Nepal, trust in traditional institutions such as mainstream media, think tanks, and state machinery is gradually decreasing. Public trust in such institutions, which rely on elaborate editorial processes, thorough research, and hierarchical structures of responsibility, appears to be eroding . On the contrary, there is a growing tendency towards 'citizen-led' and 'independent' options . These groups benefit from the global trend of social media utilizing the concept of unsophisticated and 'agenda-free' information flow.

These so-called 'citizen-led' groups are often able to operate outside traditional ethical and regulatory structures because they are not bound by such norms. Unlike traditional institutions, these groups do not feel the need to adhere to institutional norms of truth verification, accountability or credibility. Their popularity often depends on emotional appeal, sensation and the ability of such content to go viral. This trend, intertwined with social media algorithms, increases polarization in communities, encourages resentment, and creates echo chambers.

populist leaders actively work to develop relationships with these influential people or to support their views . They use polarizing narratives for their popularity . This creates a cycle of increasing polarization and consequently social media becomes an echo chamber for divisive debate. These influential people often attack the existing structures and present populist leaders as the sole 'saviors' of the nation.  The combination of

influencers and populist leaders exacerbates public frustration and narrows and weakens the space for nuanced debate. As a result, the credibility of 'genuine' alternatives weakens and disillusionment prevails among the public . Such an environment makes the possibility of change difficult and also diminishes the trust of the people towards the traditional system .

Populist influence in Nepal's alternative politics: Vicious cycle of crisis

The growing populist influence in Nepal's alternative politics has disturbed its original purpose. Instead of aiming to bring systemic change, populist leaders and their allies have repeatedly used public discontent for short-term gains. These forces that promise change are weakening the institution instead of strengthening it . This is creating a cycle that frustrates alternative efforts, adding to public frustration and making it impossible to institutionalize real reform.

Failures in alternative politics will eventually have profound consequences . When alternative forces fail, mainstream political parties become stronger. The populist tendency to focus on exploiting people's discontent rather than solving it discredits the very concept of reform. This further strengthens the 'kleptocratic network' based on corruption and provides an opportunity to institutionalize corruption . The condition of weak foundation and populism persists, trust in the system decreases and Nepal continues to be trapped in a failed political structure .