The broader alliance between the CPN-UML, the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal on Tuesday put to rest speculations that they would go into the upcoming provincial and federal elections under a single electoral symbol. But that is still possible provided they contest as a single party. 

The Election Commission had set August 27 deadline for the parties to inform the poll body about the symbol on which they wanted to contest the elections. As the parties had informed the EC about their choice of symbol, the door for contesting the polls under a common electoral symbol as separate parties. 

Following Tuesday’s six-point deal, the UML and the Naya Shakti will fight the election under sun—the electoral symbol of the UML, while the Maoist Centre will participate in the elections on its own symbol—sickle and hamper inside circle.

“They can fight under a single electoral symbol only if they contest as candidates of a single party,” said EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal. 

Addressing the press conference called to announce the poll alliance, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli said that they could not contest under the same electoral symbol as they had already missed the deadline. “But that will not affect our larger goal of a merger,” Oli said. The three parties have announced they would merge once the Central Parliament and Provincial elections are completed.

The UML and the Maoist Centre have agreed to share the seats in a 60:40 ratio after allocating seats to other parties that would join the alliance. The two parties are looking for the Upendra Yadav-led Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal to join the league before coming out with the exact number of seats. 

As parties have decided to contest the elections under different electoral symbols, the sharing of the electoral constituencies will be done only in the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system rather than the proportional representation system. 

There will be 165 seats under FPTP in the Federal Parliament and 330 in the Provincial Assemblies in addition to 40 percent additional seats under the proportional representation system.