National
Parties field nominees for Phase 1 polls
Candidates of the major political parties—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre)—on Sunday filed nominations for the first round of provincial polls scheduled for November 26. There are 74 constituencies in the election to be held in 32 districts of six provinces.Candidates of the major political parties—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre)—on Sunday filed nominations for the first round of provincial polls scheduled for November 26. There are 74 constituencies in the election to be held in 32 districts of six provinces.
The Left Alliance, which was in a fix over candidates selection, has finally allocated 39 and 33 seats to the UML and the Maoist Centre respectively.
The UML-MC alliance has allocated two seats in Baglung district to the Chitra Bahadur KC-led Rastriya Janamorcha Party.
According to UML leader Pradeep Gyawali, the three parties have agreed to share one seat each in the federal parliament and two seats each in the provincial assembly of Baglung and Pyuthan.
In the first phase of elections, KC’s party will not have representatives in the federal polls. “We are eyeing two-thirds majority and candidates have been picked in a way they succeed winning polls,” Gyawali told the Post.
The NC, meanwhile has filed nominations in 69 seats while giving away five seats to other parties of the ‘democratic’ alliance. Out of those five seats, the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum received one in Bhojpur, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party got two—in Baitadi and Dhading 2, and the Babu Ram Bhattarai-led Naya Shakti Party-Nepal received one seat each in Gorkha and Rasuwa.
Apart from a few exceptions, most of the influential leaders from the Left Alliance as well as the NC-led democratic alliance have decided not to contest the provincial polls.
UML leader Prithvi Subba Gurung from Lamjung, Rajendra Pandey from Dhading and Sher Dhan Rai from Bhojpur are contesting in the provincial polls, while NC Central Committee member and former minister Jivan Bahadur Shahi is contesting in the provincial polls from Humla.
The left alliance, which was in a fix over candidates selection, has suffered a blow in some of the districts with the UML and the Maoist Centre leaders registering their candidacy against those fixed by the alliance.
In Bajura, UML leader Gopal Bahadur Khadka has filed candidacy for the federal parliament against the Left Alliance candidate Shakti Basnet, Maoist leader and
former home minister.
Likewise, UML’s Sher Bahadur Bohara filed candidacy in Bajura-1 against the official candidate, Arjun Thapa.
In Ramechhap, Mainkumar Moktan and Hemanta Poudel of the Maoist Centre have filed candidacy as independent candidates for provincial assembly against the official candidates of the Left Alliance.
Shanti Prasad Poudel and Kailash Dhungel, both from the UML, have been picked by the alliance as candidates from Ramechhap- 1 and Ramechhap-2 for the provincial assembly.
Likewise, Lal Kumar KC left the UML and filed candidacy as CPN (ML) candidate in Dolkha-2 against UML’s Pashupati Chaulagain in Dolkhaa-2 for provincial assembly.
Left Alliance’s late adjustments
KATHMANDU: The Left Alliance has made some adjustments in division of constituencies in the last hour, following pressure from the district committees.
The Maoist Centre has left Humla-1 for the UML which reciprocated by giving its alliance partner in the provincial polls in Jajarkot.
With the Left Alliance unable to determine candidates in Sindhupalchok, the Maoist Centre has decided to contest from constituency 1 and the UML in constituency 2, UML leader Pradeep Gyawali said.