Kathmandu, January 3
Nepal Communist Party has finalised its list of candidates for the upcoming National Assembly Elections, scheduled for January 23.
The list prepared by a meeting of the party’s secretariat includes senior leader Narayan Kaji Shreshta, who lost to Baburam Bhattarai in the contest for Gorkha-2 seat in the lower house of parliament during the 2017 elections. The other candidates are: Indu Gautam (Province 1), Gopi Achhami (dalit quota) Devendra Dahal (‘other’ quota’), Tulasa Dahal (Province 2), Radeshyam Paswan (dalit quota), Ganga Belbasese (Province 3, women’s quota) and Bhagwati Neupane (Gandaki Province, women’s quota).
Similarly, the candidates for Province 5 are: Bimala Ghimire (women’s quota), Jag Prasad Sharma (differently-abled quota) and Gopal Bhattarai (‘other’ quota). The party has picked Maya Prasad Sharma and Sumitra BC (women’s quota) from Karnali Province and Taraman Swar and Sharada Bhatta from Sudur Paschim Province. The party has, however, left out senior vice-chair Bamdev Gautam, who was eager to be elected lawmaker. Similarly, finance minister Yubraj Khatiwada, whose term as member of the upper of the house expires ahead of the election, has also not been included on the list.
Party sources say that Khatiwada is likely to step-down after the elections, paving the way for Prime Minister Oli to nominate someone else in his position. PM Oli has still not hinted to party leaders who he plans to name Khatiwada’s successor.
