Virajbhakta Appointed Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation

March 26, Kathmandu – Virajbhakta Shrestha has been appointed the Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

In the cabinet formed today under the leadership of Balendra Sah, 44-year-old Shrestha, elected from Kathmandu Constituency No. 8, assumed the position of Energy Minister.

Shrestha defeated Suman Sayami of the Communist Party of Nepal by a margin of 21,375 votes; Shrestha secured 24,592 votes whereas Sayami received only 3,217 votes.

He also won the 2022 elections from the same constituency, where he defeated Sayami once again.

Starting his political career with the Bibeksheel Sajha Party, Shrestha served as a provincial assembly member in Bagmati Province and previously held the position of Minister for Youth and Sports in the federal government.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Shrestha began his career in hotel and restaurant management and worked as an employee on various projects. His public image transformed significantly after the 2015 earthquake.

At that time, the volunteer group he led collected and distributed relief materials and conducted health camps for underprivileged communities from Mustang to Bardibas.

Committed to environmental conservation, he established the ‘Force Nepal’ organization and launched campaigns such as ‘One Tree – My Responsibility,’ which helped him connect deeply with grassroots communities.

Before the 2017 elections, Shrestha joined Bibeksheel Sajha’s campaign alongside Ujjwal Thapa. After winning a seat in the Bagmati Provincial Assembly through the proportional representation list, his working style attracted widespread attention.

Shrestha is among the few politicians who annually publish reports about their work. He played a crucial role in passing legislation to recognize Nepal Bhasa and Tamang as official languages for government work in Bagmati Province.

When the federal government proposed the Guthi Bill, he strongly protested both on the streets and in parliament, representing the sentiments of the Newar community.

Due to ideological differences and the release of a ‘royalist’ document by then Bibeksheel Sajha chairman Rabindra Mishra, Shrestha parted ways with the party.

In the 2022 elections, running under the Rastriya Swatantra Party banner from Kathmandu-8, Shrestha won with 10,112 votes, while the candidate from Hamro Nepali Party, Suman Sayami, received 6,179 votes.

During his tenure in the federal parliament, Shrestha actively worked towards good governance and improvements in the sports sector. Although his time as Minister for Youth and Sports was brief, his initiatives to eliminate malpractices and boost athletes’ morale earned him a reputation as a capable young leader.