A large number of names were recommended to various parties from most districts of Koshi Province for the upcoming House of Representatives elections to be held on February 21. However, only a very few of them have made it to the final closed lists of their respective parties.

Most of the names recommended by the provincial committees have been removed from the final list. In some cases, names that were not recommended by any district or provincial level have also been included in the closed list.

For example, the NCP had recommended 29 names as proportional candidates from Jhapa alone. However, most of the names have been cut from the final closed list. Even the name of cartoonist Yogesh Khapangi, who was recommended for proportional representation from Jhapa Constituency No. 2, did not make it to the closed list. Many other recommended names like him have been left out of the final list.

Although the proportional election system is said to be a means of inclusivity and distribution of opportunities, in practice it seems to be becoming a tool for power management and leadership balance within the party.

UML: Jhapa-centric, repetition of the old

Among the main parties, UML has kept the most names from Koshi Province in the closed list. The inclusion of a significant number of names from Chairman KP Sharma Oli's home district, Jhapa, has become a major feature of the UML list.

Morang's Guru Baral, Naresh Pokharel, Jhapa's Somnath Portel, Jitu Gautam, Menuka Kafle, Nita Ghatani, Anita Kandangwa, Binakumari Sah, Panchthar's Bhumika Subba and Udayapur's Manju Chaudhary have been included in the closed list. 

The fact that MPs, ministers or those who have previously held important party responsibilities are being re-elected to the closed list indicates that the UML is using proportional representation as an 'experienced and safe option'.

The tendency for repeat candidates to be included in the list is strong as priority is given to those who have had opportunities in the previous term over new faces who have been recommended within the party. However, some young faces like Nita Ghatani and Anita Kandangwa are included for the first time.

Congress: Limited names, dissatisfaction persists

Only a very few names from Koshi Province have been included in the closed list from the Congress. A leader said that a dispute erupted in Koshi itself while finalizing the closed list province-wise.

The names of Rukmini Koirala of Morang, Radha Karki and Goma Bhattarai of Jhapa, Ilam's girlfriend Rana Magar, and Gita Gurung of Solukhumbu in the women's quota have been included in the closed list for youth. Although the Congress claims that it has adopted a policy of not including those who have been included in the proportional list of the union or province since 2064, dissatisfaction persists within the province due to the limited number of names.

Joint General Secretary Bhishma Raj Angdembe from Panchthar has come first in the indigenous peoples' quota. With the inclusion of Angdembe, who had lost the direct election twice before, it seems that the Congress has sought organizational balance to some extent.