Himal Press 
This combo photo shows Dambar Khadka (left) and Abhishek Singh.
KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) has finalized the candidates for the by-elections in Ilam-2 seat of the House of Representatives and Bajhang-1(1) seat of Sudurpashchim Province Assembly.
A meeting of the parliamentary board of the party held on Thursday picked Dambar Khadka for Ilam-2 and Abhishek Singh for Bajhang-1(1).
The Ilam-2 seat has been vacant since the demise of UML Vice Chairperson Subash Chandra Ghimire in September last year.
Khadka, who is the president of the Ilam District Committee of NC, suffered a narrow defeat against Nembang in the election for the House of Representatives held in November last year. He is close to the party’s establishment faction.
The anti-establishment faction of the party, led by Shekhar Koirala, had been demanding that the party field Bhesh Raj Acharya in Ilam-2.
UML has fielded Nembang’s son Suhang in Ilam-2. Rastriya Swatantra Party’s Milan Limbu and independent candidate Dagendra Thegim Limbu, who has the support of pro-identity groups, are the other prominent candidates in Ilam-2.
Likewise, the Bajhang-1(1) seat of Sudurpashchim Province Assembly became vacant with the demise of Prithvi Bahadur Singh of NC in a road accident. NC’s candidate, Abhishek, is late Prithvi Bahadur’s son.
