Swarnim Wagle
Dr. Swarnim Wagle (Nepali: डा.स्वर्णिम वाग्ले) is an economist and a member of Federal Parliament's House of Representatives in Nepal since April 2023, having been elected from a by-election in the seat of Tanahun 1.[1]
Dr. Swarnim Wagle | |
|---|---|
डा. स्वर्णिम वाग्ले | |
 | |
| Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha | |
| Assumed office 28 April 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ram Chandra Poudel |
| Constituency | Tanahun 1 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gorkha, Nepal |
| Political party | Rastriya Swatantra Party |
| Other political affiliations | Nepali Congress (left 2023) |
| Alma mater | Budhanilkantha School London School of Economics Harvard University Australian National University |
| Occupation | Politician, Economist |
Wagle previously served as vice-chair of the National Planning Commission from August 2017 to February 2018, and was a member of the Commission for two terms, from May 2014 to November 2015, and September 2016 to August 2017.[2][3] Between 2020 and 2022, during the Covid-19 pandemic, he also was the Chief Economic Advisor at the United Nations Development Program Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific in New York covering 36 countries.[4]
Political career
In March 2023, Wagle, who had for decades been a member of the Nepali Congress, joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party to contest the by-election in Tanahun 1. Wagle secured a landslide victory, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Govinda Bhattarai by nearly 15,000 votes, and receiving over 54 percent of the votes cast.[5]
2023 Tanahun–1 by-election
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swarnim Wagle | Rastriya Swatantra Party | 34,919 | 54.57 | |
| Govinda Bhattarai | Nepali Congress | 20,122 | 31.45 | |
| Sarbendra Khanal | CPN (UML) | 8,488 | 13.27 | |
| Others | 456 | 0.71 | ||
| Total | 63,985 | 100.00 | ||
| Majority | 14,797 | |||
| Rastriya Swatantra Party gain | ||||
| Source: ECN[6] | ||||
Personal life
In October 2019, Wagle was appointed chair of the Institute for Integrated Development Studies, a South Asian policy think tank established in Kathmandu in 1979. He has also worked as a senior policy advisor and economist in international organizations like United Nations Development Program and the World Bank. He holds academic degrees from the London School of Economics, Harvard University and the Australian National University.[7]
References
- "Swarnim Wagle elected from Tanahun-1". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- "Swarnim Wagle appointed Vice Chairman of NPC". The Himalayan Times. 2017-08-03. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
- National Planning Commission, National Planning Commission
- "Our team | United Nations Development Program". 7 July 2021.
- Republica. "RSP's Dr Swarnim Wagle wins by-election in Tanahun-1 with a wide margin". My Republica. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
- "प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य उपनिर्वाचनमा उम्मेदवारहरुको सुची". Election Commission of Nepal.
- Wagle, Swarnim (2010-11-04). "Swarnim Wagle". World Bank Blogs. Retrieved 2017-08-03.