The candidates have not been finalized in 5 of the 12 constituencies in Karnali after multiple names were recommended.
What you should know
The Nepali Communist Party (NCP) has finalized seven direct candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives elections to be held on February 21.
The candidates have not been finalized after many names were recommended in 5 of the 12 constituencies of Karnali. So far, 5 former Maoists and 2 former Unified Socialists have received candidate tickets in Karnali.
Jeet Bahadur Rana has become the candidate in Surkhet Constituency No.-1 from the NCP and Jhak Bahadur Malla in Surkhet-2. Rana is the Surkhet District Coordinator of the former Maoists, while Malla was the in-charge. Both are participating in the parliamentary election for the first time. Nar Bahadur Bista was elected in the first Constituent Assembly election from the former Maoists, who had an alliance with UML in 2074 and with Congress in the 2079 parliamentary elections, but he was defeated in 2070 BS. The former Unified Socialists' public base in Surkhet is considered weak.
Gopal Sharma has become the candidate from Rukum West. Former Maoist leader Janardan Sharma has been elected from Rukum West, where the public base of the former Maoists is considered good, four times continuously since 2064 BS. After he left the former Maoists and formed the Progressive Democratic Party, the former Maoists have split, while the former Unified Socialists were already considered weak.
Dhan Bahadur Budha, who won the federal parliament seat three times in a row from Dolpa, has become a candidate again. He had won the last House of Representatives election from the former Unified Socialists with 11,292 votes. He was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from the then UML in the 2070 BS Constituent Assembly election and in 2074 BS, he has also been the Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and the Minister of Urban Development.
The NCP has finalized Naresh Bhandari as its candidate from Jumla. He was elected as a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2064 BS and as a member of the Provincial Assembly in 2074 BS, and also became the Minister of Internal Affairs and Law of Karnali Province.
Similarly, Ammar Bahadur Thapa has been made a candidate again in Dailekh-1. He won the last House of Representatives election from the former Unified Socialist Party with 18,297 votes, and was elected from Dailekh 1 (B) on behalf of the then UML in the Provincial Assembly election-2074. Yogendra Shahi has got a ticket in Dailekh-2. In the last Provincial Assembly election, he was defeated by the UML candidate in Dailekh 2 (B) by 83 votes. He is also the former vice-chairman of the Karnali Provincial Planning Commission.
As many names have been recommended from Humla, Kalikot, Jajarkot, Salyan and Mugu, discussions are underway and the candidate will be finalized by Monday at the latest, said Thagendra Prakash Puri, the provincial president of the former Socialist Party. Former Maoist provincial in-charge Kali Bahadur Malla informed that the candidate will be finalized by including all the parties that have united.
