There was a lot of discussion after the name of Rina Upreti was included in the proportional list of the Nepali Congress. It became a topic of debate that the wife of former Minister Bal Bahadur KC had secured the first position in the Khas Arya cluster.

Amidst the discussion and controversy, some leaders within the party even put pressure on the list to be corrected. The Nepali Congress had been fielding Bal Bahadur as a single candidate from Solukhumbu in all the elections since 2048 BS. He was defeated in the elections of 2064 BS, 2074 BS and 2079 BS and won in 2048 BS, 2051 BS, 2056 BS and 2070 BS.

This time, Bal Bahadur had announced that he would not contest the elections. He was criticized for including his wife in the proportional list. Rina has called this criticism and controversy an 'unnecessary controversy'.

She says that her marital relationship was given priority over her qualifications, abilities and long political contributions. Rina, who has always supported her husband in politics, was planning to enter parliament through direct elections this time. She said that although her name was recommended from the district level, she withdrew from direct elections because it was decided to raise it from Koshi Province through proportional representation.

Although Rina is known in politics as Bal Bahadur KC's wife, she had been active in the organization for a long time. She was planning to contest the election directly based on her access to student politics and continuous contributions from the center. She said, 'The plan was to contest directly, and due to the consensus and equation within the party, we planned to reach parliament through proportional representation.'

Rina had been offered to sit on the proportional list in previous elections as well. However, she decided to support her husband in direct elections rather than those opportunities.

Rina has been continuously active in politics since the People's Movement of 2046 BS. From underground activities to student politics, organization building to district-level work, she has continuously contributed. She has been a Congress representative since the 11th Congress.

She has been close to Congress politics since childhood. Her father was a believer in Congress. Her family was affected by the repression carried out by the Panchayat government in 2028 BS. She recalled that the police were always monitoring her home at that time.

She was even jailed at the age of 19 due to her involvement in political activities. She said, "I was 19 when I went to jail, my sister was 15. We were released only after the multi-party declaration in 2046 BS."

Her childhood was spent in a political environment, police surveillance, and fear. Around 2046 BS, Congress leader Krishna Sitaula lived underground in her house. At this time, she got the opportunity to understand political developments more. This background made her active in the 2046 BS people's movement. She was active in activities such as listening to the speeches of leaders recorded on cassettes, hiding them at home, helping underground leaders, and delivering messages.

After coming to Kathmandu in 2047 BS, her political activism spread further. While studying at Padmakanya Campus, she got involved in student politics. She became the treasurer, secretary, unit president, and even the president of the Independent Students' Union (SWSU). She also held the responsibility of the central secretary of the Nepal Students' Union. She remained active in the district and organization until 2056 BS.

After marrying Bal Bahadur in 2061 BS, her role changed a bit. Even after reaching Solukhumbu, she did not stop doing politics. But rather than being seen in the forefront, she focused on helping the organization and the family's political journey. She has been supporting her husband continuously since 2064. According to her, the treatment of women in Nepali politics is also not equal. She has experienced that when women achieve success, there is a tendency to link it to relationships rather than personal abilities. She said, ‘There is still a tendency for leadership to not trust women and question their abilities.’ However, women should also develop the mindset that they can do it if given the opportunity.’

Having reached the parliament through proportional representation, she says that it is not appropriate to give the same person opportunities through proportional representation repeatedly. She said, ‘You have to use the opportunity once and prove yourself.’ She said, ‘You have to use the opportunity once. Mistrust in the proportional system increases if you take the opportunity repeatedly.’

She said that she took the parliament trip as an opportunity to learn. She plans to work by keeping parliamentary practice, the essence of the constitution and the concerns of the people at the center. She said that she will focus on issues in the Himalayan districts. The development of the Himalayan region including Solukhumbu, utilization of local resources and economic self-reliance are her primary agendas. She said, ‘If there is a system to spend up to 50 percent of the royalties raised from the Himalayas and hydropower at the local level, there will be no need to depend on the central government for development.’