CPN-UML’s Bidya Devi Bhandari and Nepali Congress’s Laxmi Rai have filed nominations papers for the election to the post of president slated for March 13.

A standing committee meeting of UML on Tuesday night picked Bhandari ahead of another senior leader Jhala Nath Khanal as its presidential candidate while NC’s Central Working Committee on Wednesday decided to field Rai.

NC had previously said it would not contest for presidential election if UML fielded any other candidate except Bhandari.

Bhandari and Rai reached Election Officer’s Office in New Baneshwor to file their nominations.

Bhandari was proposed by Madhav Kumar Nepal, Bhim Rawal, Ishwor Pokharel, Subash Chandra Nembang and Onsari Gharti Magar while Ram Bahadur Thapa, Bishnu Poudel, Gokarna Bista, Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal and Rabindra Adhikari seconded her.

Man Bahadur Bishwakarma, Chitralekha Yadav, Parbati DC Chaudhary, Devendra Raj Kandel and Surendra Raj Panday proposed Rai while Sarita Prasain, Sujata Pariyar, Mekhlal Shrestha, Shiva Chandra Chaudhary and Radha Ghale seconded her.