KATHMANDU: Opposition parties have decided to field Dr Khim Lal Devkota as a candidate for by-elections of the National Assembly (NA).

Nepali Congress (NC) has also a support for Devkota who is from the Nepal-Khanal faction.

A meeting held between NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Maoist Center Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal, senior leader of CPN-UML Madhav Nepal and Janata Samajwadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav had decided to field him as a common candidate.

Maoist Center had relieved Ram Bahadur Thapa of his post of lawmaker of the National Assembly after he defected to the CPN-UML.

Oli faction of the ruling UML has decided to field Thapa as an NA candidate again.

The opposition alliance has decided to field Devkota against Thapa.

Devkota, who had resigned as the vice chairman of the policy and planning commission of Bagmati Pradesh in 2076 BS, holds PhD in development economics and a fiscal federalism and local government analyst.