Madhes Tarai Forum (MTF) has become the first party to take advantage of the Election Commission’s (EC) fresh window for submitting the details of party officials authorised to nominate candidates.

The MTF, led by Kaushal Kumar Singh, has submitted the names, signatures and positions of party officials authorised to provide official letters of nomination to the EC.

In its bid to bring on board the election process those parties that did not participate in the first phase of the local elections that took place on May 14, the EC on Saturday had issued a three-day deadline for the concerned parties, including the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) to submit their details to authorise their nominations.

RJP-N, a recently formed party comprising six Madhes-centric political forces, has not submitted its details to the EC, in line with its decision to boycott the upcoming elections.  

“We expect other parties to submit their details until Monday evening,” an EC officials said on Sunday. “Besides the Madhes Tarai Forum, other parties have also inquired us about the process.”

Seventeen parties, including the six component parties in the present RJP-N, had missed out the previous deadline for the first phase of the local elections held in provinces 3, 4 and 6. Then, the parties were required to submit their nomination authorisation details 15 days ahead of the candidate nominations.

Meanwhile, the MTF has requested the EC to issue a “crescent moon” as the party’s election symbol, which has already been assigned to Samajbadi Janata Party (SJP).

The EC has agreed to provide the symbol to the MTF, provided it secured the consent of the SJP in writing.

The Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch, led by Kumar Lingden, has also requested for a house as its election symbol. The Manch and the Rastriya Janamukti Party have formed an alliance to contest in the local level polls in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Sankhuwasabha, Terhathum, Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Dang.

Meanwhile, the EC has assigned the Upendra Yadav-led Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal a flame as the election symbol. It was the election symbol of the Baburam Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Nepal.