As in previous elections, this time too, there has been a trend of candidates changing parties at the last minute, running as rebel candidates, and changing their constituencies to enter the election fray. As nominations were being filed in 165 constituencies across the country for the 21 Falgun elections on Tuesday, many leaders have changed parties and constituencies.

Many aspirants have been active but in the end, they left the party they were active in and became candidates for a new party. 

Candidates who changed parties

The most unexpected result after changing parties was Anil Kumar Jha of Nepal Sadbhavana Party. Jha, who has been active in politics for a long time in a Tarai Madhesh-centric party and is also a former minister, registered his candidacy for Rautahat-1 on Tuesday morning with Congress President Gagan Thapa. His opponent is NCP co-coordinator and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

Former Congress leader Birendra Kumar Kanaudia has joined the UML and is a candidate from Kapilvastu-3. Amresh Kumar Singh, who first won the election as an independent from the Congress and later as an independent, has joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) this time and is a candidate from Sarlahi-4. He will compete with Congress President Gagan Thapa. Congress leader Pramod Kumar Yadav has joined the UML and registered his candidacy from Rupandehi-4 after not getting a ticket.

Yadav was elected from the same constituency from the Congress in the 2074 House of Representatives election. In the 2079 election, he was defeated by Sarvendranath Shukla of the LOSPA. “It was certain that I would be given a ticket until Tuesday morning, but suddenly, when the ticket was given to someone else, I felt that I was being unfairly treated and could not stay in the same party,” he said. The Congress has fielded Ashutosh Mishra as its candidate in that constituency.

Kanhaiya Baniya of the LOSPA, who was previously a state MP, has become a candidate from the LOSPA in Rupandehi-4, and Bikram Khanal of the Congress has become a candidate from the LOSPA in West Nawalparasi-1. Former Superintendent of Police Vikram Singh Thapa, who had expected a ticket from the Congress, has joined the LOSPA and become a candidate from Kapilvastu-2.

Prakash Rajouria of the RPP has joined the LOSPA at the last minute and become a candidate from Kapilvastu-3. Former Chief Minister of Madhesh Province and Janmat candidate Satish Kumar Singh has filed his candidacy in Saptari-2 from Swabhiman Party, NCP leader Ansari has filed his candidacy in Bara-4 from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and NCP Dharmanath Sah has filed his candidacy in Siraha-4 from UML. Former Minister of JSP Nepal Mohammad Istiyak Rai has filed his candidacy in Banke-2 from UML.

Rebel candidacy

After the NCP did not give him a ticket, former Chief Minister of Lumbini Kul Prasad KC has filed his candidacy in Dang-1 against party candidate Metmani Chaudhary. A rebel candidacy has been filed against NCP candidate Lekhnath Dahal in Sindhuli-2. Journalist Maheshwar Dahal has filed his candidacy, saying it is the decision of the district party.

Congress youth leader Ashish Sharma has filed his candidacy in Kapilvastu-1. He has filed his candidacy against Congress' Athar Kamal Musalman. Congress' Baburam Acharya has filed his candidacy in Kathmandu-1. After the party nominated Prabal Thapa, he filed an independent candidacy. Prakash Man Singh had won from that constituency in 2079 BS. This time, he did not get a ticket.

Bhupendra Jung Shahi of the Congress has also filed a rebel candidacy against Harsh Bahadur Bam, who got a ticket from the party. The NCP candidate in that constituency is Mahendra Bahadur Shahi. The party's Jeevan Budha has also filed a rebel candidacy against him.

Gagan to Pushpa Kamal change constituencies

Congress President Gagan Thapa, who was standing from Kathmandu-4, has changed constituencies and is a candidate from Sarlahi-4. NCP coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal has filed his candidacy in Rukum East. In the 2074 BS election, Dahal won from Chitwan-3 and in 2079 BS from Gorkha-2. In the last election, Sobita Gautam of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) who was elected from Kathmandu-2 has filed her candidacy in Chitwan-3.

NCP's Devendra Poudel has changed his constituency and filed his candidacy from Nawalparasi (Susta Paschim)-2. Poudel was elected from Baglung-2 in 2079 BS. Congress's Prakash Sharan Mahat has left Kathmandu and reached Nuwakot. He has filed his candidacy from Nuwakot-1. Mahat is contesting from Nuwakot for the first time. Earlier, in the 2074 BS elections, he had filed his candidacy from Kathmandu-5. He was defeated then. In 2079 BS, Congress had fielded Pradeep Poudel as its candidate from Kathmandu-5.

UML Secretary Bhanubhakta Dhakal has filed his candidacy from Morang-3 and reached Tehrathum. He had won from Morang-3 in 2074 BS and lost in 2079 BS. NCP leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha has filed his candidacy from Sarlahi-3 this time. He was defeated from Gorkha-2 in the 2074 BS elections. After that, he was elected from Gandaki Province and became a member of the National Assembly.