Rajendra Mahato (; born 19 November 1958) is a Nepalese politician, who had been serving as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development since 4 June 2021 but was removed from the post by the Supreme Court on 22 June 2021, making his tenure of just 18 days the shortest till date. He was the parliamentary party leader of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal although the status matter of conflict within the party.
Though weak today due to continuous party change, he once was a well known leader of Terai-Madhesh based political alliance. Mahato contested election from Sarlahi 2 where he lost with Mahindra Ray Yadav of Maoist Centre. He has previously contested the election from Sarlahi and Dhanusha where his party could win no local level head position and got clean swept in recent election.
Political career Mahato began his political career in 1990. In the 1994 parliamentary elections, he contested from Sarlahi 2 as a candidate of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party finishing second with 10,173 votes. In the 1999 elections, he won the seat with 14,750 votes, defeating former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.
In 2007, Mahato split from the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) and formed his own party which he later named the Sadbhavana Party. Over the years, he joined several parties including the Rastriya Janata Party, Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party.
In April 2008, Mahato was elected from Sarlahi 4 in the Constituent Assembly election. However, he lost the seat in the 2013 election to Mahendra Rai Yadav of the Terai Madhesh Sadbhavana Party. Under proportional representation, his wife Sahil Devi Mahato was nominated to the Assembly.
Mahato has been a prominent advocate for Madhesi rights, expressing opposition to provisions in Nepal’s draft constitution that he viewed as discriminatory against the Madhesi community.
Personal life Rajendra Mahato was born on 19 November 1958 in Babaraganj, Chandranagar Rural Municipality-2, Sarlahi District, Nepal, as the second child of Khobhari Mahato though disputed.
Election history
2022 legislative elections
(Sarlahi 2)
2017 legislative elections Dhanusha 3PartyCandidateVotesRastriya Janata Party NepalRajendra Mahato30,750 Nepali CongressBimalendra Nidhi27,847 CPN (Maoist Centre)Ram Singh Yadav2,346Others1,300Invalid votes2,930ResultRJPN gainSource: Election Commission 2013 Constituent Assembly Election Sarlahi 4PartyCandidateVotesTerai Madhesh Sadbhavna PartyMahendra Raya Yadav11,534Sadbhavana PartyRajendra Mahato8,790 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Ram Narayan Sah8,348Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum, NepalRam Chandra Raya Yadav5,020 Nepali CongressLaxman Raya2,605Rastriya Madhesh Samajbadi PartyDinesh Raya1,714UCPN (Maoist)Ram Kishun Ray1,601Others2,729ResultTMSP gainSource: NepalNews
2008 Constituent Assembly election Sarlahi 4PartyCandidateVotesSadbhavana PartyRajendra Mahato17,073Terai Madhesh Loktantrik PartyRam Chandra Raya Yadav8,752Madheshi Janaadhikar Forum, NepalRameshwar Raya6,939 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Raj Narayan Sah4,615 Nepali CongressLaxman Raya4,207Rastriya Janashakti PartyRam Padartha Shah3,177Others4,684Invalid votes2,918ResultSadbhavana gainSource: Election Commission
1994 legislative elections Sarlahi 2PartyCandidateVotes Nepali CongressMina Pandey10,795Nepal Sadbhawana PartyRajendra Mahato10,173Rastriya Prajatantra PartySurya Bahadur Thapa9,723 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Laxman Paudel7,724Others387ResultCongress holdSource: Election Commission
1991 legislative elections Sarlahi 2PartyCandidate Ask ChatGPTVotes Nepali CongressMina Pandey10,684Nepal Sadbhawana PartyRajendra Mahato7,828ResultCongress gainSource:
See also
Rastriya Mukti Party
References