KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC), Nepal is set to hold National Assembly by-elections in Bagmati Pradesh on Thursday (May 20) and in Lumbini Pradesh on May 31.

Three candidates are contesting the by-elections in Bagmati Pradesh with an electoral college of 348. Similarly, with 296 votes, two candidates are contesting the elections in Lumbini Pradesh.

In Bagmati Pradesh, Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal from ruling CPN-UML, Dr Khim Lal Devkota representing Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center) and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Krishna Bahadur Tamang from Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP) are contesting the elections.

In Lumbini Pradesh, the UML has fielded Chandra Bahadur Khadka in the by-elections. Khadka had defected to the UML from the Maoist Center, recently.

Similarly, NC, Maoist Center and JSP have jointly fielded Drig Narayan Pandey against Khadka in the by-elections.

Pandey, who was a Provincial Assembly member in Lumbini Pradesh representing UML had joined NC only few days ago.

EC’s spokesperson Raj Kumar Shrestha said the silence period has started since May 17 for the NA by-elections to be held in Bagmati Pradesh.

Badal, Devkota and Tamang have received Sun, Lotus and Madal as their election symbols, respectively.

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.

Similarly, Maoist Center had relieved Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa of his post of lawmaker of the National Assembly after he joined the CPN-UML.

UML has decided to field Thapa as an NA candidate again. The NA member’s post lay vacant after Maoist Center took action against Badal.