March 5 HoR Elections: Heavyweight Leaders Out, Former PMs & Ministers In

Bijeta Bhandari

Nepal’s March 5 House of Representatives election is shaping up to be a contest of contrasts, with several heavyweight political figures opting out of the race even as four former prime ministers and sitting ministers step into the electoral fray.

Retiring Heavyweight

Amid news of the candidates who have registered their names under the first past the post system for March 5 house of representative election, some of the key figures of Nepali politics are absent.

Foremost in the list is Nepali Congress former president Sher Bahadur Deuba who had emerged victorious seven times from his home constituency in Dadeldhura.

The legacy of the five-time Prime Minister of the country seems to be ending now with analysts linking the recent division in the party due to his ambitions.

Deuba on the eve of the candidacy registration announced that he would not contest the pools now.

Some of the other leaders of Nepali Congress who are not contesting March 5 HoR election include vice president Biswo Prakash Sharma, Prakash Man Singh, Gopal Man Shrestha, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dr. Sashank Koirala.

If rumors are to be believed, Congress president Gagan Kumar Thapa allocated 20 seats for Deuba side and 10 seats for Sekhar Koirala side despite all three sides agreeing to run for HoR under the same flag and electoral symbol.

Only time will tell whether their absence was voluntary or enforced but for the time being they would not be seen in the legislature for another five years.  

Another large party CPN UML also has some notable figures absent in the election fray.

Surendra Pandey, Yogesh Bhattarai, Gokul Banskota are among the top names who are missing in the list of UML candidates.

Nepali Communist Party, the alliance of CPN Maoist Center, CPN Unified Socialist and others, will miss the legacy of former Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal who had already announced not to contest.

Also missing from the party is Bamdev Gautam who despite resigning as National Assembly member to contest the election is said to have withdrawn his name at the last minute. ##

Four Former PM in the Race

Four former Prime Ministers are in the race of the election to the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5.

CPN (UML) chairperson and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli filed his candidacy from Jhapa constituency-5.

Similarly, coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party and former Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal has filed his candidacy from Rukum (East) constituency-1.

His joint-coordinator and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has filed nomination from Rautahat constituency-1.

Likewise, patron of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party and former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai is contesting from Gorkha constituency-2.

In the earlier election, UML Chair Oli was elected from Jhapa-5, NCP Coordinator Dahal from Gorkha-2 and NCP joint-coordinator Nepal from Rautahat-1.

Former Prime Minister Dr Bhattarai had not contested in the last election. ##

Incumbent Ministers in Race

Four ministers in the Sushila Karki–led government, formed with a mandate to conduct elections for the House of Representatives (HoR), have themselves filed nomination for the March 5 HoR election.

Kulman Ghising, who held the portfolios of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation; Physical Infrastructure and Transport; and Urban Development; has filed candidacy from Kathmandu three from his Ujyalo Nepal Party.

Ghising had formed a new political party, the Ujyalo Nepal Party, after his failed attempt to reconcile with Rastriya Swantra Party soon after resigning from the post.

Another minister who left the cabinet to contest the election from Rastriya Swantra Party RSP is minister for youth and sports Bablu Gupta.

Gupta has registered his candidacy from Siraha 1. 

Jagadish Kharel who quit as Minister for Communications and Information Technology only Monday joined RSP and has filed nomination from Lalitpur constituency-2. Mahabir Pun, Minister for Education, Science and Technology who only resigned Tuesday after having reached his constituency in Magdi is contesting the election independently.