Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: A total of 388 women have filed candidacies under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. Of them, 157 are independent candidates.
In Madhesh Province, 109 women candidates, including 71 independents, are contesting the election in 32 seats of eight districts.
In Parsa, 12 women candidates, including seven independents, have entered the race, while Bara has 16 candidates, including 10 independents. Rautahat has 13 women candidates, including 10 independents, and Sarlahi has six, including three independents.
Mahottari has 19 women candidates, including 11 independents, while Dhanusha has 15, including 12 independents. Siraha has eight women candidates, including five independents, and Saptari has the highest number with 20 women candidates, including 13 independents.
Sarlahi has the lowest number of women candidates at six.
Among political parties, the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party has fielded the highest number of women candidates in the province. The party has fielded five women candidates in the province: Rekha Patel in Rautahat-3, Rama Koirala in Sarlahi-3, Neelam Kumari Yadav in Saptari-2, Gangalaxmi Baidya in Dhanusha-3, and Krishnashwori Manandhar in Mahottari-1.
Similarly, the Aam Janata Party (AJP) has nominated four women candidates: Ranjuk Kumari Sah in Parsa-2, Rinki Sah in Sarlahi-4, Anita Kumari Chaudhary in Saptari-4, and Gyanudevi Danuwar in Siraha-3.
The CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) have nominated three each. UML has fielded Rimakumari Yadav in Parsa-1, Jwalakumari Sah in Bara-3, and Julie Kumari Mahato in Dhanusha-3. Likewise, the RSP has nominated Pushpa Chaudhary in Saptari-1, Gauri Kumari Yadav in Mahottari-4, and Nitima Karki (Bhandari) in Sarlahi-1.
The Nepali Congress (NC), the Nepal Communist Party (NCP), Janamat Party, and the Mongol National Organization (MNO) have fielded two women candidates each. NC has fielded Chandrakala Yadav in Siraha-4 and Kiran Yadav in Mahottari-2. Likewise, NCP has filed nominations for Poonam Devi in Rautahat-3 and Rubi Kumari Karn in Saptari-4. Similarly, Janamat has fielded Malati Kushwaha from Parsa-3 and Seema Kalwar from Parsa-4, while MNO candidates Radhadevi Mahara is contesting in Bara-2 and Samjhana Gole in Bara-3.
In addition, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Shram Sanskriti Party, Prajatantrik Party Nepal, Rastriya Janamorcha, Rashtranirman Dal Nepal, Nagarik Unmukti Party, Nepal Janata Party, Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Ujyaalo Nepal Party, Rashtranirman Dal, Shram Shakti Party, and JSP Nepal have fielded one woman each.
