In-Depth Story’s False Claim That Gagan Thapa And Others Have Been Blacklisted From Contesting Elections
पुस १८, २०८२ १४:५३
Kathmandu: Since Tuesday, claims have been circulating on social media and in some media outlets that Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa has been blacklisted by the Election Commission and barred from contesting the upcoming election. The claim says Thapa and others cannot run because they failed to disclose their election expenses from the previous election as required by law.
However, a fact-check by the TechPana Fact Check Desk shows that this claim is misleading. Gagan Thapa, who is also the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, won the 2079 BS House of Representatives election from Kathmandu Constituency No. 4. He had already made his election expenditure details public and paid the Rs 15,000 fine imposed by the Election Commission. Despite this, several media outlets and social media pages have falsely claimed that 1,043 candidates, including Thapa, have been blacklisted for failing to submit or publicize their election expenses.
Claim
A post was published on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 8:59 pm from a Facebook page named In-Depth Story. The post included a photo of Gagan Thapa with the word “BLACKLISTED” written in large English letters. The text overlay read, “Gagan Thapa Blacklisted!! The Election Commission has banned Gagan Thapa, Sherdhan Rai, and 1,080 others from running in the next election for not submitting their election expenses or not making them public even after submission.”
The caption of the same post stated in Nepali that 1,080 candidates who failed to pay their election expenses or failed to make them public after payment had been blacklisted by the Election Commission. It further claimed that Gagan Thapa, Sherdhan Rai, and others would not be allowed to contest the upcoming Falgun 21 elections. The post cited Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari and claimed the Commission would use a computer system to verify past candidates’ expense records and reject non-compliant candidates.
As of the time of writing, the post had received more than 8,300 reactions and 472 comments and had been shared 247 times.
In-Depth Story also shared the same claim on Instagram. That post received 5,526 likes and 112 comments. It was reposted 56 times and sent via direct message 1,396 times. See In-Depth Story’s Facebook post, Instagram post, and Facebook post archive.
Investigation
After the claim went viral, the TechPana Fact Check Desk began investigating. During the process, a news item published by Annapurna Post was found on its website and social media pages. A Facebook post published at 7:48 pm on December 30, 2025, stated, “Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa, UML secretaries Rajan Bhattarai and Sherdhan Rai will not be allowed to contest the upcoming elections.”
Opening the link, the news lead read that some office bearers of the Nepali Congress and UML would not be allowed to contest the upcoming House of Representatives election on Falgun 21 and that Gagan Kumar Thapa, Dr. Rajan Bhattarai, and Sherdhan Rai had been placed on the Commission’s “blacklist.” See Annapurna’s Facebook post (archive) and online news (archive).
A Facebook search for the keyword “Gagan Thapa” showed that a user named Mukunda Karki had posted a similar claim. The post said that Gagan Thapa, Yogesh Bhattarai, and Sherdhan Rai, along with 1,080 others, were on the Election Commission’s blacklist and would not be allowed to contest the election. See original link, archive link, and screenshot.
Another Facebook user, Sagar Sir, also claimed that Gagan Thapa would not be allowed to contest the election because he was blacklisted. See original post, archive post, and screenshot.
An online outlet named Prashashan.com published a news story titled “Gagan Thapa, UML secretaries Dr. Rajan Bhattarai and Sherdhan Rai will not be allowed to contest the upcoming elections.” See the news link, archive link, and screenshot.
A Facebook page named Hamro Trend shared a video claiming that Gagan Thapa would not be allowed to contest the upcoming election. See original post.
Other Facebook pages and users, as well as TikTok and X users, were also found sharing the same claim.
During the investigation, a Facebook post published by Gagan Thapa on July 27, 2023, was found. In that post, Thapa publicly shared his election expenditure details and confirmed that he had paid a fine of Rs 15,000 to the Election Commission. He stated that he had already submitted his expenditure details on 25 Mangsir 2079 BS, that the details had been made public, and that he later paid the fine and re-published the information. See the post Gagan Thapa shared on July 27, 2023.
The Annapurna Post news item also embedded a 25-page PDF file listing 1,043 candidates. Although the report claimed there were 1,080 candidates, the document itself does not describe the list as a blacklist. A review of the file shows that it is a list of 1,043 House of Representatives candidates who were fined Rs 15,000 each under Section 31(4) of the Election Act 2073 for failing to disclose their election expenses within the specified period during the 2079 election. The document references an Election Commission decision dated 4 Baisakh, 2080.
A press release issued by the Election Commission only 5 Baisakh, 2080, states that 5,561 candidates from House of Representatives and Provincial Assembly elections were directed to disclose their election expenses within seven days and submit clarification to the Election Office. See the Commission’s press release.
Another press release issued on 9 Shrawan 2080 states that 2,435 candidates, including 1,043 House of Representatives candidates, were fined Rs 15,000 each. The same release states that fined candidates were ordered to submit proof of payment and make their election expenses public within a specified time. It also clarifies that only candidates who fail to pay the fine within the deadline would be barred from contesting future elections.
The PDF file published by Annapurna Post matches the subject and context of these Commission press releases. It is a list of candidates fined for delayed disclosure, not a blacklist.
The Commission’s statement makes it clear that candidates would only be barred if they failed to pay the fine within 35 days from 9 Shrawan 2080. If the fine was paid on time, there would be no legal obstacle to contesting elections.
Gagan Thapa re-published his election expenditure details on 11 Shrawan 2080, two days after the Commission’s notice, confirming that he had paid the Rs 15,000 fine. This means he completed the process within the deadline and is eligible to contest elections.
The TechPana Fact Check Desk also contacted Election Commission Joint Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC. He said the claim that the Commission has blacklisted Gagan Thapa and other leaders is false. He stated that the information being circulated is outdated, unrelated to the upcoming election, and intended to create fear. He also said the Commission would formally refute the claim.
Update: The Election Commission has since issued an official press release addressing this misinformation.
Claim
1,080 candidates, including Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa and CPN-UML leader Sherdhan Rai, have been blacklisted by the Election Commission and will not be allowed to contest the upcoming House of Representatives election on Falgun 21.
Claimants
In-Depth Story (Facebook and Instagram), Hamro Trend (Facebook), Annapurna Post (online and Facebook), Prashashan.com, Mukunda Karki, Sagar Sir, and other social media users.
Fact
Gagan Thapa submitted his 2079 BS election expenditure details to the Election Commission and paid the Rs 15,000 fine imposed for delayed disclosure. He completed this process within the deadline set by the Commission.
The list cited by Annapurna Post and others is an old list from 2080 BS. It is not a blacklist. It is a list of candidates who were fined.
Election Commission Joint Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC has clearly stated that the Commission has not blacklisted anyone from contesting elections.
Conclusion
The claim that Gagan Thapa and other leaders have been blacklisted by the Election Commission and barred from contesting the upcoming elections is misleading. Thapa has fulfilled all legal requirements and remains eligible to run. The viral content is based on outdated information and misrepresents official Commission decisions.
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पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: पुस १८, २०८२ १४:५३
