Nepali Congress has decided not to field any candidate for the post of House Speaker and Deputy Speaker in a meeting of party officials held at party President Sushil Koirala’s residence in Maharjagunj on Friday.

The ruling coalition—CPN-UML, UCPN (Maoist), RPP-N and MJF-L—have already decided the candidates for the respective positions. Former Deputy Speaker Onsari Gharti will be vying for the post of House Speaker from UCPN (M) and RPP-N’s Ganga Prasad Yadav is the candidate for Deputy Speaker.

The election of the House Speakers is likely to be unanimous after the NC’s decision.

However, regarding the election to the posts of the President and the Vice President, the meeting took a decision to move ahead on the basis of necessary advice and suggestions with the parties that supported the party in the prime ministerial election.

The Madhes-centric parties had backed the Nepali Congress candidate in the prime ministerial election held on October 11.

"We have decided to file candidacy to the post of President and Vice President after consultations with the parties that supported the Nepali Congress in the prime ministerial election," the NC spokesman Dilendra Prasad Badu said, adding that the NC has no official candidate in the election to the posts of Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Legislature-Parliament.

The Legislature-Parliament is holding election to the post of Speaker in its meeting taking place today at 3 pm.

As per the election schedule published by the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat, filing of candidacies to the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker would take place from 11 am to 2 pm today. Accordingly, the election to the post of Deputy Speaker will take place in the Legislature-Parliament at 5 pm today.