The left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) has completed sharing of constituencies in Kathmandu Valley and Province 2. As per the understanding, the Maoist Centre will take Constituencies 6, 8 and 10 in Kathmandu, leaving seven for the UML.

In Lalitpur district, the UML has got two constituencies, while the Maoists have claimed one. The alliance will have only one candidate in Bhaktapur district as they decided to support Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party Chairman Narayan Man Bijukchhe in Constituency-1.

“The process of finalising seat-sharing overall will complete soon,” UML Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said, adding that seat allocation remains to be completed in five districts.

While the Maoist Centre is still undecided, the UML has more or less zeroed in on its candidates for Kathmandu. UML Central Committee member Sabitra Bhusal will take on Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh in Kathmandu-1. Rabindra Mishra of Bibeksheel Sajha Party has announced his candidacy from the constituency considered to be an NC forte. Former prime minister and senior UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal will run from Kathmandu-2.

UML District Chairman Krishna Rai is almost sure to stand in Kathmandu -3 while Rajan Bhattarai will fight against NC’s Gagan Thapa in Kathmandu-4. Thapa had won the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013 in this constituency with a huge margin.

UML General Secretary Ishwar Pokhrel will be fielded in Kathmandu-5. NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat will compete with Pokhrel in the constituency where NC leader Narahari Acharya had won the two CA polls.

Maoist leader Himal Sharma is likely to get the ticket for Kathmandu-6 while Rambir Manandhar of the UML is the likely candidate for Kathmandu-7. Maoist leader Hitman Shakya is being considered for Kathmandu-8 where the NC has already positioned former industry minister Nabindra Raj Joshi.

In Kathamdnu-9, UML Vice-chairman Asta Laxmi Shakya and Central Committee member Krishna Gopal Shrestha are in the fray.

Former Nepal Police DIG Nawaraj Silwal, insiders say, is likely to get the Lalitpur-1 seat while the candidate for Lalitpur-2 remains undecided. Maoist Centre Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal will contest from Lalitpur-3. In Bhaktapur-2 UML leader Mahesh Basnet is almost sure to be fielded.

For the provincial assembly elections, the Maoist Centre has got one seat each in Kathmandu-3, 6 and 10 while the UML will take 17 seats. In Bhaktapur, the Maoists have got one provincial assembly seat while the UML has claimed three.

In Province 2, the Maoist Centre and the UML will share 15 and 13 seats, respectively. The eight districts of Province 2 have 32 constituencies in total. In the remaining four constituencies, the alliance will support independent candidates. According to Gyawali, the alliance will support one independent candidate each in Mahottari, Sarlahi, Saptari and Dhanusha districts. The alliance had decided to support 10 independent candidates in the federal assembly polls. The UML has got 30 provincial seats while the Maoist Centre has retained 28. The Maoist Centre and the UML became the fourth and fifth parties, respectively, in the local level elections in the province.

Seat allocation

Constituency Probable Candidates  

Kathmandu-1 Sabitra Bhusal (UML)

Kathmandu-2 Madhav Kumar Nepal (UML)

Kathmandu-3 Krishna Rai (UML)

Kathmandu-4 Rajan Bhattarai (UML) 

Kathmandu-5 Ishwar Pokhrel (UML)

Kathmandu-6 Himal Sharma (Maoist Centre) 

Kathmandu-7 Rambir Manandhar (UML) 

Kathmandu-8 Hitman Shakya (Maoist Centre) 

Kathmandu-9 Asta Laxmi Shakya/ 

Krishna Gopal Shrestha (UML

Lalitpur-1 Nawaraj Silwal (UML) 

Lalitpur-3 Pampha Bhusal (Maoist Centre)

Bhaktapur-1 To support Narayan Man Bijukchhe

Bhaktapur-2 Mahesh Basnet (UML)