The spectacle of the sovereign subject

Across much of South Asia, voters do not merely elect representatives; they seek protectors.

For the forthcoming elections, two competing parties—the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP)—appear to have adopted “All Eyes on Madhesh” as a rallying cry to mobilise the electorate. Gagan Thapa seeks to rejuvenate the moribund support base of the NC by promising reform that would finally address Madheshi aspirations. His appeal is managerial and programmatic—reform the party, recalibrate policy, restore credibility and generate trust.