Those with uncontroversial single recommendations are almost certain to get tickets.
What you should know
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has been nominated as a single candidate from his home district Dadeldhura for the upcoming elections to be held on 21 Falgun. The Dadeldhura Regional Working Committee has recommended only Deuba's name and sent it to the center. Deuba, who has been winning elections from the same constituency continuously since 2048 BS, is preparing to contest for the eighth time.
Along with Deuba, other prominent leaders of the Nepali Congress have also been recommended on a single recommendation from various constituencies. Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka has been recommended from Surkhet-1, General Secretary Gagan Thapa from Kathmandu-4. However, apart from Kathmandu, his name has also been recommended from Dhankuta-1, Rolpa-1 and Sarlahi-4.
Another General Secretary Bishwaprakash Sharma has been recommended on a single recommendation from Jhapa-1. He was elected from the same constituency in the last 2079 elections.
Similarly, Congress leader Shekhar Koirala has been recommended from Morang-6, Sunil Sharma from Morang-3, and former Vice President Bimalendra Nidhi from Dhanusha-3. Nidhi had earlier become an MP through proportional representation. Dr. Firdos Alam has also been recommended on a single recommendation from Rautahat-2. Alam is the son of Mohammad Aftab Alam.
Santosh Chalise has been recommended on a single recommendation from Kathmandu-3. However, his recommendation has been controversial. The disgruntled party has protested, saying that the recommendation was made unilaterally by the regional working committee. They have even locked the regional working committee office.
Nevisangh President Dujang Sherpa wanted to be recommended from this constituency, but he was not allowed to come and Santosh Chalise's name was recommended individually, resulting in strong protests. Chalise, who was elected from this constituency in the last 2079 elections, is now facing a corruption case. The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has registered a case of corruption and money laundering against him.
Similarly, Ramesh Rijal from Parsa-4, Anil Ruganta from Parsa-1, Ramchandra Yadav from Siraha-2, Sandeep Rana from Palpa-1, Mohan Acharya from Rasuwa-1, and Mohan Basnet from Sindhupalchowk-1 have also been recommended individually.
Prakash Sharan Mahat has come on a single recommendation from Nuwakot-1. This time, he has got an opportunity in the same constituency where his brother Ram Sharan Mahat had previously contested. Although his name has also been recommended from Kathmandu-5. But he has publicly announced that he will contest from Nuwakot.
Baburaj Joshi has come from Bhaktapur-1 on a single recommendation. Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWP) has been winning elections from this constituency. In the last election, NWP's Prem Suwal was elected.
Dilendra Prasad Badu from Darchula-1 and Devendra Raj Kandel from Nawalparasi-2 have also come from a single recommendation.
Since only one name has come from the regional level, the Central Parliamentary Committee has been giving priority to them while distributing tickets. In the previous elections, those who had a single recommendation had easily got tickets, and this time too, it seems that candidates who came on a single recommendation without controversy will easily get tickets.
According to the party statute, there is a provision that the regional working committee should recommend a maximum of three names, including one woman, and send them to the center. If there is agreement, it is by consensus, and if there is no agreement, the statute provides for the recommendation of names based on a majority.
But most of the regional working committees have ignored this limit and sent the names of all the aspirants. More than 50 names have reached the center from some districts, which has added complexity to the Central Parliamentary Committee's decision to finalize the candidates.
In such a situation, the position of leaders with single recommendations is easy. All the recommendations have started coming to the center through the regions, districts and provinces. The final names of those candidates will be finalized through the Central Parliamentary Committee chaired by the President.
