Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Candidates from different political parties have filed their nominations for the National Assembly election scheduled for January 25. According to the Election Commission, 52 candidates from eight parties have filed their nominations.
The terms of eight members from CPN-UML, four from Nepali Congress (NC), three from CPN (Maoist Center), two from CPN (Unified Socialist), one from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), one independent member, and one member appointed by the President are becoming vacant on March 4. The Election Commission is holding a vote to fill 19 of these posts.
President Ram Chandra Poudel will appoint one individual to the upper house on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers. The ruling coalition has already decided to recommend Durga Pokharel of Pyuthan for appointment to the National Assembly.
National Assembly members are elected by an electoral college comprising the mayor/chairperson and deputy mayor/vice-chairperson of municipal bodies across the country. Provincial assembly members carry a vote weight of 53, while officials of local units have a vote weight of 19. According to the Election Commission, 2,047 people’s representatives from seven provinces will cast their votes in the election. They include 549 provincial assembly members and 1,498 chiefs and deputy chiefs of local units.
The ruling coalition has fielded common candidates in the 19 seats. As per the seat-sharing deal among ruling coalition partners, NC will field its candidates in 10 seats, Maoist Center in six seats, Unified Socialist in two seats, and JSP in one seat.
If voters of the parties in the coalition cast their votes as directed by their party, the candidates of the ruling coalition will win the election comfortably.
The main opposition, CPN-UML, has fielded candidates in all 19 seats. Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) has fielded candidates in nine seats.
List of Candidates
Nepali Congress: Nepali Congress has shared 10 seats among its three factions. While the establishment faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba has fielded candidates in six seats, the faction of Dr Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa has three candidates. Likewise, one seat has been allotted to a faction led by Prakash Man Singh.
Koshi: Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Madhesh: Ananda Prasad Dhungana
Bagmati: Bishnu Devi Pudasaini and Jitjung Basnet
Karnali: Krishna Rokaya, Narayan Dutta Bhatta, and Baldev Bohora
Gandaki: Padma Bahadur Perayar and Kiran Babu Shrestha
Lumbini: Bishnu Devi Sapkota
CPN-UML: The main opposition, CPN-UML, has fielded its candidates in all 19 seats. The party knows that all its candidates would lose the election if voters from parties of the ruling coalition voted for the common candidates of the ruling coalition.
Koshi: Rukmini Koirala, Parshuram Adhikari
Madhesh: Usha Devi Tharuni and Bijay Jhal
Bagmati: Roch Kumari Chaulagai, Trilochan Nirmal Poudel, Bivek Devkota, and Dhruvaraj Bishwakarma
Gandaki: Samjhana Devkota, Chakra Bahadur Parajuli, and Hemendra Sherchan.
Lumbini: Tulsa Kumari KC and Jhapendra Bahadur Gharti Kshetri.
Karnali: Bimala Kumari Shahi, Dilli Prasad Bhatta, and Hikmat BK .
Sudurpashchim: Savitra Devi Ghimire, Ishwari Prasad Kharel, and Ram Chandra Joshi.
CPN (Maoist Center): Maoist Center has fielded candidates for six seats. Since all six are common candidates of the ruling coalition, they are certain to win the election if voters of the ruling coalition cast votes as instructed by the party.
Koshi: Champa Devi Karki
Bagmati: Shrikrishna Adhikari
Gandaki: Manarupa Sharma
Lumbini: Jhakku Subedi
Karnali: Bishnu BK
Sudurpashchim: Renu Chand
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP): RPP has fielded candidates in eight seats. RPP was preparing to field candidates in Madhesh, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim province as well. However, since it had only one people’s representative in each of these provinces, it did not get a proposer and seconder for its candidates to file the nomination.
Koshi: Uddhav Poudel
Bagmati: Bal Kumari Dallakoti, Hem Jung Gurung, Bharat Mani Bhatta, Poorna Bahadur Bishwakarma
Gandaki: Rom Bahadur Bhandari, Gaumaya Shrestha
Lumbini: Niranjan Thapa, Bijaya Laxmi Singh
Nepal Workers and Peasants Party
Bagmati: Krishna Laxmi Duwal, Sangita Nepali, Himalayashwar Lal Mool, Shree Krishna Maharjan
CPN (United Socialist): The Unified Socialist has fielded two candidates in the National Assembly election. These candidates are the common candidates of the ruling coalition.
Bagmati: Ghanashyam Rijal
Karnali: Savitri Malla
Janamat Party: Janamat Party, which is also a ruling coalition partner, has fielded two candidates in the National Assembly election.
Madhesh: Ram Shankar Mahaseth
Lumbini: Bal Govinda Chaudhary
Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP): JSP has been allotted one seat by the ruling coalition. The party’s candidate, Pooja Chaudhary, who lost the election for the House of Representatives held in November last year, has filed her nomination.
Madhesh: Pooja Chaudhary
