KATHMANDU: Three candidates have filed their candidacies for a vacant post of the National Assembly (NA) by-elections through the Bagmati Pradesh.
Krishna Bahadur Tamang from Nepal Workers and Peasants Party (NWPP), Ram Bahadur Thapa alias Badal from CPN-UML and Dr Khim Lal Devkota as an independent candidate have filed their nominations on Friday.
Among the three candidates, a tough competition is likely between Home Minister Thapa and Devkota. Devkota is backed by Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) and Nepal-Khanal faction of ruling CPN-UML. If the Nepal-Khanal faction does not cast votes for Thapa, he is unlikely to be reelected to the National Assembly.
Home Minister Thapa had filed his nomination at 12:30 pm yesterday at the election office in Hetauda, the capital city of Bagmati Pradesh.
Proposed by Chief Minister of Bagmati Pradesh Dormani Poudel, Thapa’s candidacy is seconded by Minister for Social Development Saraswati Basnet.
Thapa who reached the election office along with UML leaders, cadres and ministers of the province to register his candidacy claimed that he would win the elections.
“I am confident that I will receive all the votes of UML, I will win the elections,” he said.
Devkota had filed his nomination at 11:55 am on Friday.
Proposed by Maoist Center Bagmati Pradesh Parliamentary Party leader Shalik Ram Jamarkattel, Devkota’s candidacy is seconded by NC Bagmati Pradesh Parliamentary Party chief whip Radha Ghale. Devkota expressed his confidence that he would win the elections.
“With the working experience at the local and provincial level, now I will serve in the National Assembly,” said Devkota.
Similarly, Tamang had filed his candidacy at 12:15 pm.
For the elections of a NA member, one provincial assembly member is equivalent to 48 votes, and a chief and deputy chief of the local units is equivalent to 18 votes, said Office of the Election Commission of Bagmati Pradesh.
According to the EC, there are 5,280 votes of 110 Provincial Assembly members and 4,284 votes of 238 chiefs and deputy chiefs of local units. There are a total of 9,564 votes.
Of them, 34 Provincial Assembly members loyal to Prime Minister KP Oli faction of the CPN-UML have 1,632 votes. Twenty three Provincial Assembly members of Nepal-Khanal faction have 1,104 votes. Similarly, 23 Provincial Assembly members of Maoist Center have 1,104 votes and 22 Provincial Assembly members of NC have 1,056 votes. Likewise, there are other eight Provincial Assembly members including two of NWPP in the Bagmati Pradesh.
Under the local level, UML’s Oli faction has claimed that it has 133 chiefs and deputy chiefs. If all of them cast votes for Thapa, a total of 2,394 votes will be cast. On the other hand, Nepal-Khanal faction has claimed to have 40 percent of chiefs and deputy chiefs in its support. Nepal-Khanal faction is preparing to cast votes for Devkota.
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