Nepal: 44 candidates file nomination for National Assembly election

In Nepal, a total of 44 candidates filed their nomination papers on Wednesday for the 18 vacant positions in National Assembly ahead of the January 25 election. There are 59 seats in the National Assembly, of which election is being held for 18 vacant seats, according to the Election Commission. Every two years, elections are held for one-third seats. This year, 19 seats are vacant but the election will be held for 18 seats while the 19th would be nominated by the president after this election. The National Assembly is the Upper House.

Two major political parties, Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-UML, have forged an electoral alliance by fielding common candidates, while the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is contesting independently. The Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N) has fielded candidates for three seats from Madhes Province and extended support to Mahant Thakur, a candidate from the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, for one seat.

Meanwhile, Kulman Ghising, a senior minister in Nepal's interim government, resigned on Wednesday to join politics and fight the March 5 election. Ghising, the minister for Energy and Water Resources, Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, is the former chief of Nepal Electricity Authority credited with ending 16 hour long load-shedding in Nepal.Appointed as a minister in the caretaker government nearly four months ago, Ghising tendered his resignation on Wednesday evening to Prime Minister Sushila Karki, according to the PMO.