Kathmandu, December 9

President of Nepal Olympic Committee Jeevan Ram Shrestha was elected as the Member of Parliament after he defeated Nabindra Raj Joshi in Kathmandu Constituency No 8 this morning.

The CPN-UML leader Shrestha, also the two-time Member Secretary of National Sports Council, garnered 13,397 votes while his nearest rival of Nepal Congress’s Joshi earned 12,953 votes. Shrestha had lost to the same opponent in the second Constituent Assembly elections four years ago, while Joshi saw his dreams of making it four in a row from the constituent shattered this time around.

Shrestha thanked all the voters and supporters for a successful campaign. “I got support from all quarters of the society and I am happy that the voters of the region believed in me this time around,” said Shrestha. “Now I will not let them down.”

Shrestha said that he would play active role in fulfilling the agendas he raised during election campaign. “I am aware that a Member of Parliament won’t have much working rights but I will definitely raise my voices to make things happen,” he said. “I will move forward as per the party manifesto and also work in post-quake reconstruction of heritage sites and personal houses apart from developing a cultural city to attract tourists,” he added.

Asked about his contribution in sports, Shrestha said he would make strong lobby for the development of infrastructure. “We need to have infrastructure across the country for the overall development of sports and I will try my best for the next five years. I had started Gautirar Central Academy in Makawanpur and I will strongly lobby to complete the project,” he added.

Shrestha also said that the proper policy would end controversies in sports sector. “We need to have a proper sports policy which will end all the controversies in sports sector and we also need to create an environment where sports persons can feel proud and secured,” added Shrestha, who is also the president of South Asian Olympic Council, the governing body of regional sporting extravaganza, SA Games.

Shrestha is one of the three candidates from sports sector in fray in federal parliament elections. Nepal Athletics Association President Rajeev Bikram Shah, who contested in Jajarkot representing Nepali Congress, lost to Shakti Bahadur Basnet of Maoist Centre. Shah received 23,289 votes, while his rival Basnet garnered 32,281.

In Provincial elections, former treasurer of National Sports Council and Olympian Surendra Bahadur Hamal and former president of Cricket Association of Nepal were elected in their respective constituencies. Vice-president of Nepal Weightlifting Association Hamal, who contested in Banke-2(B) from Nepali Congress, defeated CPN-UML’s Bijay Kumar Gupta, while Maoist Centre’s Aangbuhang beat Dipendra Sendang of NC in Taplejung (B). Likewise, former acting president of CAN Deepak Koirala of Maoists Centre also won the election from Kaski-1(A).

Vice-president of Nepal Swimming Association Gita Rana is contesting from Kailali-4 as an independent candidate. Four candidates are from football fraternity with former vice-president Kishor Rai, former general secretary Kumar Jung Thapa, ex-CEO Indra Man Tuladhar and member Mohammad Samim Ullaha in fray in different constituencies.

Former NSC treasurer Min Krishna Maharjan is in the provincial race from Lalitpur-1(B), while former NSC member secretary Keshav Sthapit is in the race from Kathmandu-6(A).

Likewise, former U-19 national cricketer Fauzlur Rahman Khan is in the race in Kapilvastu-1(B), while former treasurer of Nepal Volleyball Association Buddhi Katwal is contesting from the Nepali Congress in Sunsari-1 (B).