I should be declared elected from Chitwan-2: Shrestha

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) leader Umesh Shrestha has argued that he should be declared elected from the Chitwan-2 constituency.

Shrestha registered an application at the Election Commission on Sunday, demanding that he should be declared elected.

The Chitwan-2 constituency was vacated after the Supreme Court found Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane, who was elected from the constituency, ineligible to hold public positions.

Speaking at a press meet in Lalitpur on Sunday, Shrestha said: “Since the Supreme Court has not invalidated the election, the candidates receiving the highest number of votes should be automatically declared elected.”

“As the court found Rabi Lamichhane unfit to contest the election and hold public positions, we shouldn’t ignore the fact that the election was among the candidates except for Lamichhane,” he added.

Shrestha was Lamichhane’s close contestant in the constituency receiving 14,983 votes compared to Lamichhane’s 49,264 votes.

The Supreme Court has invalidated Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairman Rabi Lamichhane’s, ruling him unfit to hold public office.