Several constituencies are set to witness high-profile contests in the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, following the filing of nominations by former prime ministers, senior party leaders, former mayors, journalists and social activists.
The competition has drawn particular attention in Jhapa-5, where former prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli is facing Balen Shah, who resigned as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City to enter national politics. Shah, who won the mayoral race as an independent candidate, has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and is being promoted by the party as a future prime ministerial candidate.
In the 2022 election, Oli won the Jhapa-5 seat with 52,319 votes, while Nepali Congress candidate Khagendra Adhikari secured 23,743 votes and RSP’s Suresh Kumar Pokharel received 11,759 votes.
Another closely watched contest is unfolding in Jhapa-2, where former Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire of the UML is competing against former Deputy Speaker Indira Rana Magar, who is contesting on an RSP ticket.
In Sarlahi-4, Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa has filed his candidacy after shifting constituencies from Kathmandu-4, where he was elected previously. Thapa was recently elected party president through a special general convention. He is facing Amaresh Kumar Singh, who was elected as an independent candidate from the constituency in the last election and is now contesting from the RSP.
Former prime minister and CPN chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal has registered his candidacy from Rukum East, switching from Gorkha-2, which he represented in the previous election. Similarly, former prime minister and CPN co-chair Madhav Kumar Nepal has filed his nomination from Rautahat-1.
Another former prime minister, Dr Baburam Bhattarai, is contesting from Gorkha-2 on the ticket of the Progressive Democratic Party. The constituency also features Lekhnath Neupane of CPN and gangster Milan Gurung aka Chakre Milan of UML, making it one of the most competitive races.
RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane, whose party emerged as the fourth-largest force in the last election, has filed his candidacy again from Chitwan-2, a constituency he has previously represented twice.
In Chitwan-3, former Bharatpur mayor Renu Dahal, contesting from the CPN, is facing Sobita Gautam of the RSP, who was elected from Kathmandu-2 in the previous election.
In Kathmandu-3, former Nepal Electricity Authority managing director Kulman Ghising, widely credited with ending load-shedding, has entered the race under the banner of the newly formed Ujyalo Nepal Party. He is facing Rajunath Pandey of the RSP, who resigned as chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Police to contest the election.
Another multi-cornered contest is expected in Sunsari-1, where former Dharan sub-metropolitan mayor Harka Raj Rai, now chair of the Rastriya Shram Sanskriti Party, has filed his nomination. The constituency also features candidates from the Nepali Congress, UML, RSP and the CPN.
Key high-profile constituencies
Jhapa-5
KP Sharma Oli (UML) Vs Balen Shah (RSP)
Jhapa-2
Dev Raj Ghimire (UML) Vs Indira Rana Magar (RSP)
Sarlahi-4
Gagan Kumar Thapa (Nepali Congress) Vs Amaresh Kumar Singh (RSP)
Gorkha-2
Dr Baburam Bhattarai (Progressive Democratic Party) Vs Lekhnath Neupane (CPN) Vs Milan Gurung ‘Chakre Milan’ (UML)
Kathmandu-3
Kulman Ghising (Ujyalo Nepal Party) Vs Rajunath Pandey (RSP)
Chitwan-3
Renu Dahal (CPN) Vs Sobita Gautam (RSP)
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