KATHMANDU: With the Election Commission setting January 20 as the deadline for candidate registration for the House of Representatives election scheduled on March 5, political parties are in a rush to finalize and distribute tickets.
The CPN-UML and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have nearly completed candidate selection across most constituencies, while the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and other parties are also in the final stages of ticket distribution.
The Nepali Congress, however, appears under pressure this election due to internal disputes. Although newly elected party president Gagan Kumar Thapa has finalized candidates in some constituencies, the search for capable representatives continues in others, according to sources close to him.
Early candidate lists indicate that several constituencies, including Jhapa, Jumla, Chitwan, and Bhaktapur, are shaping up to be highly competitive battlegrounds.
Jhapa-5: Clash of political eras
Jhapa-5 is expected to witness one of the most closely watched contests, with former Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli set to face RSP leader Balen Shah.
Oli enters the race with decades of national political experience and a strong party organization, while Balen represents alternative politics, backed by his image as a successful former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
The contest is being viewed not merely as a fight between two individuals, but as a direct confrontation between traditional power structures and emerging political consciousness. Shah resigned from his mayoral post on Sunday to enter the race.
Jhapa-2: Former Speaker vs former Deputy Speaker
In Jhapa-2, former Speaker Devraj Ghimire and former Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar are set to go head-to-head. The UML has nominated Ghimire, while Raswpa has fielded Rana.
Ghimire won from the same constituency in the 2022 elections. The race is expected to intensify further with Rastriya Prajatantra Party candidate Swagat Nepal and NCP’s Hari Rana also in the fray.
Jumla: Binita Kathayat vs Gyanendra Shahi
Jumla is poised for a tight contest between RSP candidate Binita Kathayat and incumbent leader Gyanendra Shahi.
Kathayat, who represents alternative politics, has campaigned on youth leadership, good governance, and change. She was elected to the House of Representatives as a proportional representative from the Khas-Arya cluster in the 2022 elections. Before entering Parliament, she worked as a dress designer at Galaxy 4K Television.
Shahi, on the other hand, enjoys strong local influence and had won the previous election by a wide margin. With growing dissatisfaction toward traditional parties, Shahi’s personality-driven appeal and Kathayat’s fresh political image, Jumla is expected to see a closely balanced vote split.
UML has nominated Shantilal Mahat, while NCP has fielded Naresh Bhandari in the constituency.
Chitwan-3: Renu Dahal vs Sobita Gautam
In Chitwan-3, NCP has finalized Bharatpur Metropolitan City Mayor Renu Dahal as its candidate. She has already announced her resignation from office, scheduled for Tuesday.
Dahal, who won two consecutive mayoral terms with popular mandates, will face Raswpa’s Sobita Gautam. A former journalist, Gautam won from Kathmandu-2 in the 2022 elections. She is shifting to Chitwan-3 this time as Kathmandu-2 has been kept as an alternative seat by Balen Shah.
The contest between the two prominent female leaders is expected to be intense.
Bhaktapur-2: Mahesh Basnet vs Rajiv Khatri
UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet will contest from Bhaktapur-2, facing RSP candidate Rajiv Khatri. Although RSP had initially planned to field Khatri from Kathmandu-10, the party ultimately settled on Bhaktapur-2.
Khatri is a former media professional and is contesting his first election. Bhaktapur-2 is Basnet’s traditional constituency, though he lost the previous election to Nepali Congress district president Durlabh Thapa.
NCP has also fielded Ram Prasad Sapkota from the constituency, adding another layer of competition.
As parties move closer to the nomination deadline, these constituencies are emerging as decisive battlegrounds that could shape the broader political direction of the country following the March 5 elections.
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