There has been a stir in Bajhang UML after the name of the House of Representatives candidate selected by the UML Central Secretariat was changed. The cadres have also been divided after the secretariat decided to give the ticket of Afilal Okheda, who was nominated as the candidate, to Ain Mahar.

On Sunday morning, there was a lot of talk in the chowks and tea shops of Bajhang that Afilal Okheda had received a ticket for the Falgun 21 election. Early in the morning, Okheda himself uploaded a video on social media with an appeal for support, saying that the secretariat meeting had nominated him as a candidate.

Appealing for support in the election, he said in the video, ‘I am grateful to the party chairman, secretariat officials, members and all the workers for giving me an important responsibility by putting me forward as a candidate.’ Immediately, his supporters competed on social media to congratulate him.

Some workers also wrote statuses saying that they could not vote for Okheda, saying that the ticket was given to someone else instead of the party district committee’s recommended Ain Mahar. While most workers were congratulating him, saying that they would accept the party’s decision, a notice came out from Oli’s residence on Sunday afternoon that Afilal’s ticket had been given to Ain Mahar.

With that news, Okheda's supporters have started expressing their anger on social media, while Mahar's supporters are trying to convince them. On Tuesday morning, the day of the nomination, Okheda uploaded another video on Facebook, saying that his ticket was snatched away.

'I don't know which criminal, kidnapper snatched my ticket,' he said in the video, 'I am still waiting for the ticket to arrive and I will nominate.' He has objected to the insult of suddenly snatching the ticket and spreading rumors that the ticket was sold by an agent while he was receiving congratulations from the country and abroad for getting the ticket.

'What superpower has come to nullify the decision of a powerful body like the Secretariat? Who is that superpower? I have not been able to find out yet,' he said, 'What is the reason for my ticket being snatched away? Only after finding out, I will return to the party's work in Bajhang and request the entire justice-loving public to stand for justice.'

He had also written a long status on Monday, saying that taking away his ticket was an attack on the essence of caste, class and inclusiveness.

The UML district committee meeting had recommended candidates to central member Ain Mahar, former UML district committee vice-chairman Mohanraj Jaisi and Sudurpaschim Province Committee member Dhanalakshmi Khatri.

Stating that the center had given him the ticket as per the decision made by the district committee, UML House of Representatives candidate Ain Mahar said, 'We all have to accept the party's decision. If anyone goes against the party's decision, I have nothing to say about it.'

Earlier, Okheda and others had protested when the district committee recommended candidates, saying that it was one-sided. ‘We were trying until 1 am to make a recommendation by consensus so that there would be no disagreements within the party and everyone would be respected,’ said Afilal Okheda, another central member of UML and member of the Constituent Assembly, while opposing the decision. ‘Despite the possibility of consensus, that path was closed and a forced announcement was made. This has put the party in an uncomfortable situation.’

Similarly, Asha BK, another central member of UML, had also opposed this decision. In the 2079 BS elections, the then district in-charge Bhairav ​​Bahadur Singh and others had expressed dissatisfaction, saying that Ain Mahar had acted unilaterally in recommending candidates.

In a television interview immediately after the elections, Mahar had alleged that he had lost because Singh and others did not cooperate.