2,435 candidates fined for not submitting election expenses

KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 each on 2,435 candidates who failed to submit their election expenses to it within the stipulated timeframe.

According to Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, 1,037 candidates from the House of Representatives election and 1,398 candidates from the seven provincial assemblies election have been fined Rs 15,000 each.

Among those failing to furnish election expenses to the EC are Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, who was elected to the House of Representatives from the Kathmandu-4 constituency. CPN-UML’s Rajan Bhattarai, who faced defeat from Thapa in the same constituency, has also been fined Rs 15,000.

The list of candidates failing to furnish their election expenses includes newcomers like Sobita Gautam of Rastriya Swatantra Party and veterans like Upendra Yadav, chairperson of Janata Samajbadi Party. Yadav hasn’t submitted his expenses for contesting in Saptari-2. Despite facing defeat in Saptari-2, Yadav has been elected to the House of Representatives by contesting the by-polls in Bara-2.

Foreign Minister and NC leader NP Saud, NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak, and NC leader Umakanta Chaudhary will also have to pay the fine. Independent candidates Milan Pandey and Ranju Darshana also failed to furnish their election expenses and have been fined as well.

Other candidates who have been fined Rs 15,000 each include Ganesh Parajuli from Rastriya Swatantra Party, Pampha Bhusal, who contested in Lalitpur-2 from CPN (Maoist Center), and Shankar Bhandari and Bhimsen Das Pradhan from NC.

Former Speaker Onsari Gharti and former Chief Minister of Koshi, Sherdhan Rai, are also among those who have not submitted their election expenditure details to the EC.

Similarly, leaders like Rabindra Mishra from Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Ramesh Kharel, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party President Mahant and Leader Sharad Singh Bhandari, and Nepal Samajwadi Party President and incumbent Water Supply Minister Mahindra Rai Yadav have also been fined Rs 15,000 each for not submitting their election expenditure details to the EC.

According to Thapaliya, the EC imposed fines on candidates who did not furnish their election expenditure details as required by the law under Clause (31) (4) of the Election Act, 2016.