Supreme Court Seeks Explanation in Dhanusha-1 Dispute

The Supreme Court on Monday, March 9, issued a show-cause notice to the Election Commission (EC) over a writ petition filed by Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate Kishori Sah Kamal, challenging the annulment of his candidacy from Dhanusha-1 just two days before the House of Representatives elections.

A single bench of Justice Nripa Dhwoj Niroula directed the EC to present the file related to its decision, according to Nirajan Pandey, Information Officer at the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the EC instructed officials to delay the announcement of the final result in the constituency. The commission had disqualified Kamal, citing that he had previously been blacklisted for banking offences.

On Monday morning, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) claimed that its candidate, Matrika Prasad Yadav, had won the constituency and urged the EC to issue him the certificate.

Due to time constraints, the EC was unable to reprint ballot papers, and many voters reportedly cast their votes on RSP’s election symbol, the “bell.”

Of the 163 constituencies where results have been declared so far, the RSP has won 125 seats, Nepali Congress 18, CPN (UML) eight, NCP seven, Shram Sanskriti Party three, Rastriya Prajatantra Party one, while independent candidate Mahabir Pun won in Myagdi. CPN (UML)’s candidate was leading in Sankhuwasabha-1 at the time of reporting.

Nepal held elections last Thursday to select the 275 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the federal parliament. Of the total seats, 165 are elected through the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system and 110 through proportional representation (PR).

So far, of the 9.35 million PR votes counted, the RSP has received 4.51 million, Nepali Congress 1.51 million, CPN (UML) 1.26 million, NCP around 680,000, Shram Sanskriti Party around 323,000, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party around 300,000. 

A party needs at least 138 seats to form a government, while securing 184 seats would give it a two-thirds majority.