A youth-led campaign in Nepal targeting the so-called “jholeys,” or loyal supporters of senior political leaders, has spread across social media as the country reels from the Generation Z-led uprising.
The #Jholey and #ExposeJholey are gaining traction on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, with posts showing images and videos of loyalists with political leaders set to satirical background music such as “Money Money Money,” “Bella Ciao” and “Jhola Gang Myachis,” My Republica reported.
The trend usually targets political leaders and their loyalists, including deposed prime minister KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
It also singles out other politicians and influential figures such as Shankar Pokharel, Arzu Rana Deuba, Mahesh Basnet, Ramesh Lekhak, Dipak Khadka and Barshaman Pun.
These videos have racked up over 30,000 likes, with comments urging users to expose the jholeys of corrupt leaders and boycott individuals who display blind loyalty without questioning their party’s leadership.
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Musical chair of power
The campaign emerged after party loyalists began posting photos with their leaders to express allegiance, triggering backlash among youth who argued such actions help the same old leaders cling to power.
It also came as senior leaders in the Nepali Congress (NC), Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) resisted calls for reforms.
Despite public demand for leadership change, CPN-UML, NC and Maoists are expected to keep Oli, Deuba and Dahal as their party leaders, respectively.
This outright refusal has allowed them to rotate as Nepal’s prime minister for decades in what critics call a “musical chair” of power, the Kathmandu Post reported.
Lack of accountability fuels jholey trend
The campaign gained more traction after recent public appearances by senior political leaders, who did not express remorse or accountability for the Gen Z protests.
Instead of taking responsibility, they shifted blame and hinted at political comebacks, with their jholeys lining up for photos.
Among the central targets of the satire is Oli’s public appearance on September 23, where numerous party leaders and cadres gathered to show support, pay respect and sit with him.
On TikTok, these visits became fodder for the trend, mocking cadres for their eagerness to be seen at Oli’s side despite public anger at the political establishment.
More than a viral trend
Despite its virality, creators stressed that the campaign is not just satire but a rebellion against blind loyalty and obedience, which have enabled corrupt officials to bury the truth and consolidate power.
Meanwhile, other TikTok creators said the trend highlights the lack of accountability of Nepal’s old political parties and their desperation to cling to power
They expressed optimism that mocking party loyalists on social media reflects the youth’s growing impatience with entrenched political practices and their demand for accountability and transparency.
The creators also hope the movement will continue “until every household and loyalist understands their party’s faults.”
Echoes of the #NepoKid campaign
This follows the earlier #NepoKid campaign, which lambasted politicians’ children for enjoying lavish lifestyles gained through family connections rather than merit.
Many Nepalis expressed anger that leaders’ children flaunted designer outfits while most young Nepalis struggled to find stable jobs, forcing many to go abroad.
According to the World Bank, Nepal’s unemployment rate stood at about 20% last year, while government data showed that more than 2,000 youth leave the country daily to work in Southeast Asia or the Middle East, the Hindustan Times reported.
That online movement later helped fuel the September 8–9 anti-corruption demonstrations, which led to the ouster of the Oli-led administration and the formation of an interim government.
However, the protests also left 72 people dead and caused widespread infrastructure damage, leaving the economy in tatters.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Vivien Bernardino