KATHMANDU, April 10: Ruby Kumari Thakur, a lawmaker from the Shram Sanskriti Party, was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Friday, securing the post with the backing of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the largest party in the lower house.
A majority of lawmakers endorsed the proposal to elect Thakur during a House meeting, with Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal announcing the results. Earlier, a separate proposal to elect Saraswati Lama of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) was rejected by a majority, clearing the way for Thakur’s election.
The Deputy Speaker holds a prominent constitutional position, ranking eighth in Nepal’s order of precedence and enjoying privileges equivalent to those of cabinet ministers.
Thakur’s rise to the post marks a significant milestone for the 25-year-old lawmaker from Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City in Dhanusha, whose personal journey reflects a break from entrenched social norms in the Madhesh region.
Facing pressure for child marriage from an early age, Thakur resisted societal expectations and chose to pursue education and public service instead. A civil engineering graduate, she consistently opposed early marriage and dowry practices, which she had seen affect many families in her community.
Deputy Speaker Ruby Thakur assumes office
“I will serve my country first, and only then consider marriage,” she had told her parents, a stance that helped her avoid child marriage.
Elected to the House of Representatives under the proportional representation system, Thakur has pledged to work toward ending harmful practices such as child marriage and dowry, particularly in Madhesh, where she says such issues remain widespread.
She also highlighted the challenges of youth unemployment and labor migration. Her father has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past decade, a reality she says reflects broader economic constraints in Nepal.
“Many Nepalis are compelled to work abroad due to the lack of opportunities at home. I want to contribute to creating jobs so families can stay together,” she told the state-run RSS after receiving her election certificate.
Meanwhile, the deputy speaker election has triggered political criticism, with RPP parliamentary party leader Gyanendra Shahi accusing the RSP of backtracking on its earlier support.
Shahi said RPP entered the race only after RSP leaders proposed their party’s candidacy, but later changed their position to back another candidate. He claimed the development exposed shifting alliances and a lack of consistency in political commitments.
According to Shahi, the episode underscored broader similarities between established and newer political forces, despite their differing public narratives. He also suggested that political discussions among major parties had sidelined smaller groups like the RPP.
Although Shahi said the position itself was not his priority, he noted that the reversal prompted him to question the reliability of emerging political alignments.
Thakur’s election, while marking a generational and social shift in parliamentary leadership, has thus also highlighted ongoing political maneuvering within Nepal’s evolving party landscape.
