Nepali politics seems to be losing its ideological integrity and theoretical foundation and is now under the influence of the image created by social media. The historical movements for the establishment of a republic since the 2007 revolution were based on a clear ideological foundation of social justice and transformation. However, in recent times, as established parties have failed to fulfill the aspirations of the people and political leadership has become ideologically disconnected, populism has begun to dominate society.

Capitalizing on the anger arising from the incompetence of the old parties, individuals from non-political backgrounds have emerged in politics through a shortcut with the help of their established image.

The tendency of the middle class to pursue successful characters in personal identity rather than seeking deep solutions to political problems has led to the neglect of policy-based politics. Just as farmers predict and prevent crop diseases, the intellectual class and civil society also need to critically review such image-centric politics.

The tendency to pursue popularity alone can weaken the foundation of democracy and further suppress the voices of marginalized communities. A prosperous democracy requires politics with clear ideology, not status quo. The new generation needs to seriously review not only the leadership of the time, but also its long-term impact.

The development of 'image' politics

After the change in 2046 BS in Nepal, the Congress put forward political ideas and perspectives such as liberal capitalism, the UML put forward people's multi-party democracy, and the Maoists put forward political ideas and perspectives such as scientific socialism. The communist parties had been raising political agendas of protecting national independence, a self-reliant economy, and the liberation of women, Dalits, and oppressed communities.

The monarchy was abolished and a republic was established through the power of the people, but in the period after the constitution was made, the parties became ideologically disintegrated and indulged in unnatural alliances of power interests. This political vacuum and distrust of leadership fueled ‘image’ or image-based populism in Nepali politics.

Its starting point seems to have begun with the rise of KP Oli. While resisting the Indian blockade, social media established him as a ‘nationalist hero’. On the basis of this ‘image’, Oli’s power and ego grew. Eventually, he became an autocrat within the party, trampling on the 70-year age limit and the two-term democratic policy. What this confirms is that leaders who emerge on the strength of an ‘image’ created by a particular event or network are at risk of gradually turning towards arrogance and regression rather than ‘delivery’.

In the current context, the emergence of characters like Ravi Lamichhane and Balen Shah is also a result of disillusionment with the old parties. They have captured the feelings of the people at the time, but even those characters lack a solid political idea and long-term vision to solve the basic problems of the people.

Politics that rely solely on ‘image’ and popularity has a strong possibility of betraying the people again. Therefore, the young people should not be confused by superficial popularity and the image created by advertisements. ‘Image’ politics without ideas and policies can ultimately be dangerous for democracy. The essence of politics should not be just a popular image, but rather concrete changes and ideological clarity in the lives of the people.

The arrival and influence of non-political figures

In recent times, the attraction of non-political figures such as artists, journalists and former administrators has been increasing in Nepali politics. Although the middle class prefers such 'image' and 'populist' characters, they lack solid political ideology, clear vision, and long-term planning. Politics is not just about physical development and technical delivery, it is a serious issue related to human development and social justice.

Powers that cannot understand structural complexity and only pursue popularity cannot solve the real problems of the people. Such tendencies to try to capture politics through proportional lists can weaken democracy in the long run. Therefore, the new generation needs to recognize leaders with clear ideas and programs that can solve the country's crisis, not just by relying on external glamour and image. Although popular-oriented work brings momentary praise, political awareness and a clear vision are essential conditions for real change. Only such serious debate can help establish the right leadership.

Social media-centric politics

In recent times, the 'influencer' style has dominated Nepali politics, considering the presence of social media as the main source of power rather than strong organizations and ideological struggle. This new trend of influencing voters by raising emotional and populist issues through platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok has overshadowed direct public dialogue and leadership accountability. Promoting ‘stunts’ and mob rule over in-depth policy debate has diminished the critical awareness of the youth.

The deployment of cyber armies and IT cells by various parties has completely prohibited healthy political debate by promoting character assassination and personal abuse on social media. The fact that some leaders have placed the excited emotions of the crowd above established laws and procedures has added a major challenge to the rule of law. The social media ban of 2025 and the subsequent youth movement have made clear the rise and risk of this politics. Ultimately, although influencer politics has given momentary popularity, it seems to have increased the serious threat of causing social polarization and instability rather than democratic values, institutional stability, and long-term solutions.

‘Image’ism: The process of weakening democracy

‘Image’ism or image-centric tendencies have put democratic values ​​and inclusiveness in serious jeopardy. Such leaders, who have emerged using the failure of old parties as a weapon, lack a clear ideological path and policy plan. A journalist asked Rastriya Swatantra Party President Ravi Lamichhane, ‘Why were tickets given to artists, industrialists and journalists instead of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and real oppressed communities in proportional representation?’ In response, President Lamichhane says – ‘When old political parties cannot do their job, then sportsmen, artists, journalists and social activists come into politics.’

His answer clearly presents a populist style. It ignores the representation of oppressed areas and communities and blames only the old parties. What this clearly shows is that image-centric politicians do not have a clear ideological path of their own, their rise and main weapon is only to criticize old political parties.

The ‘echo chamber’ and ‘algorithm’ of social media have controlled the critical consciousness of citizens and established only the illusions that are favorable to them as truth. The algorithms and expressions of social media and image-centric leaders guide the thoughts, passions and anger of the common people. When ‘populist’ leaders start using the passions, excitement and anger of the people as a ladder to power rather than an ideological path, then the ideological ground weakens and a situation of polarization is created.

When politics is not a competition of ideas but falls into passions and a rigid polarization of ‘us or them’, then the basic essence of democracy ends. Such politics considers dialogue and consensus as weakness and pushes society towards division. When state institutions are captured by the power center instead of remaining impartial, public trust is eroded. Ultimately, the politics of emotional provocation seems to weaken long-term stability and the process of nation-building, diverting democracy from cooperation and leading it towards mob rule.