KATHMANDU: Main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to not field its candidate in the election for the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The party’s Parliamentary Party meeting held on Tuesday morning took a decision to this effect.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), having a clear majority in the House of Representatives (HoR), has already decided to field Agni Sapkota as its candidate in the election.

A Secretariat meeting of the NCP held on Sunday had decided to field NCP’s standing committee member Sapkota as the candidate for the Speaker’s post.

Sapkota filed his candidacy as per the schedule published by Parliament Secretariat this afternoon.  Sapkota’s candidacy has been proposed by NCP Parliamentary Party deputy leader Subas Nembang and seconded by NCP Chief Whip Dev Gurung, lawmaker Onsari Gharti and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal lawmaker Laxman Lal Karna.

With the support of RJPN, the NCP commands two thirds majority in favor of Sapkota. It is certain that Sapkota will be elected as the next Speaker since NC has already decided to not field its candidate.

The Parliament Secretariat has set 11: 00 am to 2:00 pm as the deadline to register candidacy for the post of Speaker.

The Parliament Secretariat will publish the final list of the candidates at 2 pm.

The post of Speaker has remained vacant for the past four months after then Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara resigned from the post over allegations of sexual misconduct against a staffer at the Parliament Secretariat.

The election is taking place on January 26.