CPN-UML leaders Sanu Kumar Shrestha and Arjun Bahadur Thapa have been elected speakers of provinces 3 and 7, respectively. Both were elected unopposed. 

Shrestha, who was elected to Province Assembly (PA) from Kathmandu-2 (A), was the only candidate who filed his nomination for the post on Saturday. 

CPN (Maoist Centre) Parliamentary Party (PP) leader Shalikram Jamakattel proposed Shrestha’s nomination, while UML PA member Rameshwor Phuyal seconded the proposal. 

 An alternative politburo member of the UML, Shrestha is the party’s Kathmandu Valley in-charge. He had served as the chairman of Kathmandu District Development Committee for five years. He was an alternative central committee member of the party when Madan Bhandari was UML general secretary during the 5th National Convention. Leader Shrestha is considered to be close to party Chairman KP Sharma Oli.

Born in Machchhegaun, Kirtipur, 58 years ago, Shrestha is currently residing at Narephant of Koteshwor. In the first Constituent Assembly elections in 2008, he lost to Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Kathmandu-10. 

Governor Anuradha Koirala administered oath of office and secrecy to Shrestha amid a function at the office of provincial chief on Saturday. He later assumed his office. “Implementing constitution and strengthening parliamentary ruling system are my main responsibility,” Shrestha told reporters afterwards. He said that the PA would soon decide the provincial capital unanimously. The nomination for deputy speaker is scheduled for Sunday. 

In Dhangadhi, the temporary capital of Province 7, UML leader Thapa was the only one to file nomination for the speaker’s post. The PA meeting scheduled for Monday will formally announce his victory. Sixty-two-year-old Thapa, who was elected to PA from Bajhang (A), worked as the Bajhang chief of the UML for two terms. 

Thapa worked as a teacher for 28 years before he joined active politics. He is also the founding member of the Nepal Teachers’ Organisation.