Top three parties— the CPN-UML, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-MC — are likely to finalisetheir candidates for the National Assembly tomorrow.

A meeting of theUML’s Standing Committee that went on for more than seven hours  finalisedits candidates from provinces 5, 6 and 7. UML Secretary Yogesh Bhattarai saidthe party would select its candidates from provinces 1, 2, 3 and 4 tomorrow.

According to apress release issued by the UML, the party selected Kamala Oli (woman category)of Kailali, Indu Kadariya (woman) of Kanchanpur, Sher Bahadur Kunwar (opencategory) of Achham and Chakra Prasad Snehi (Dalit) of Dadeldhura as itscandidates for the NA election from Province 7. The UML selected Kavita Bogati(woman) of Humla, Nanda Sharma (woman) of Surkhet, Narapati Lohar (Dalit) ofKalikot, Bhairab Sundar Shrestha (open) of Jajarkot and Thagendra Puri (open)of Rukum West from Province 6.

From Province 5,the party selected Ram Lakhan Harijan (Dalit) of West Nawalparasi, Khim LalBhattarai (open) of Rupandehi, Meena Budha (woman) of Rolpa and Komal Oli(woman) of Dang.

The NepaliCongress, meanwhile,    finalised only four candidates fromProvince 7 for the National Assembly election today.

Top leaders of theNC selected Badri Prasad Pandey, Tara Devi Bhatta, Chhatra Raj Joshi and SheriRam Parki from Province 7, according to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba’sSenior Media Expert Govinda Pariyar.

Pariyar said NCleaders would finalise names of other candidates after holding a meeting withthe Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal tomorrow.

Top leaders of theCPN-MC — Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Ram BahadurThapa — met here today and decided to finalise 14 candidates out of 72 namesrecommended by the lower committees.

Ram Bahadur Thapa,Dinesh Sharma, Lilamani Pokharel and Narayan Sharma are among 72 candidatesproposed for NA election by the lower committees.

According to apress release issued by Dahal’s Private Secretariat, the meeting was alsoattended by the chiefs of CPN-MC’s provincial chapters. Provincial chiefsrecommended three names for one NA seat, according to the release. Partysources said some leaders also recommended their spouses. Raj Kumar Sharma, whoheads the party’s Rukum Coordination Committee, recommended his wife PratibhaKC for NA; CPN-MC’s Surkhet in-charge also recommended his wife, Lalita Regmi,for an NA seat. A source added that another politburo member of the CPN-MC hadrecommended his wife Sabitri Kafle as candidate for NA election. A total of 56members will be elected to the National Assembly and three members will benominated by the president on recommendation of the government.

One Dalit and onemember from minority community or a differently-abled candidate will be electedfrom each province. Candidates will have to file their nominations onWednesday.

The CPN-UML willfile 29 candidates and CPN-MC 14.

Source: TheHimalayan Times, 23^rd January 2018