Names of top leaders of major political parties have been recommended for the upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections from Jhapa district.

The recommendation of central leaders from the five constituencies of the district has shown that the elections will be competitive.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, Nepali Congress leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Bishwo Prakash Sharma, former Minister for General Administration Keshav Kumar Budhathoki, Rastriya Prajantantra Party General Secretary Rajendra Lingden, Joint General Secretary Ram Thapa, former Information and Communications Minister and CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Surendra Kumar Karki, State Minister for Agriculture and Development Sarita Prasain have been recommended from their respective parties.

Likewise, NC lawmakers Sudhir Kumar Shiwakoti, Amrit Lal Rajbansi, Usha Gurung and Mahendra Kumari Subba, Maoist Centre lawmaker Mohan Tudu, NC District President Uddhav Thapa, Yuwa Sang Nepal Central Vice-President Govinda Thapa, Maoist Centre central member and district In-Charge Jhalak Singh Darlami, UML Mechi Zone In-Charge Hikmat Karki have also been recommended in Jhapa district for the upcoming elections.

As the top leaders of major political parties are contesting in the parliamentary election, some central leaders have decided to run in the provincial election.

Some district level leaders are not happy with the recommendation of heavyweight leaders in both parliamentary and provincial elections.

UML is yet to incorporate the constituencies former Minister for Law Agni Kharel, lawmakers Rabin Koirala, Deepak Karki, Prem Giri in the elections.

NC State Minister for Agriculture and Development Prasain, lawmaker Shiwakoti and district President Thapa are lobbying for ticket to contest the polls from Jhapa-2.

According to the earlier understanding, former minister and lawmaker Budhathoki has left Jhapa-4 for district level leader Deuman Thebe. The names of Thebe and Budhathoki have been recommended for Parliamentary election under the first-past-the-post and proportional representation category respectively.

But, the name of Budhathoki has also been recommended in the Parliamentary election under the first-past-the-post from Jhapa-5.

The name of UML Chairman Oli has almost been fixed to contest the Parliamentary election from the same constituency.

Former Prime Minister Oli has been contesting the elections from the Jhapa-5 since 1991.

Oli, who had contested the elections continuously five times till 2013, lost the election only in the first Constituent Assembly held in 2007.

The name of Ram Thapa of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, who had continuously lost the elections with Oli, has been recommended under the proportional representation category of provincial election this time.

NC leader Sitaula has also been contesting the elections from Jhapa-3 since 1991. Sitaula had emerged victorious three times from Jhapa-3.

NC leader Sharma was defeated by Rabin Koiral of UML in the second Constituent Assembly election in Jhapa-1.

Though he was defeated in the second Constituent Assembly election, party has no one to replace him.

NC is yet to take the decision whether to filed Budhathoki in the upcoming elections. Budhathoki had won both the elections to the Constituent Assembly from Jhapa-4.

UML is preparing to field Lal Prasad Sawa from Jhapa-4 in the upcoming elections.

The name of PP General Secretary Lingden has been unanimously recommended from Jhapa -3.

There is no alternative to Lingden from Jhapa-3 to make the party strong.