Kathmandu, April 6

The Election Commission has decided to implement the code of conduct for the April 23 by-polls from tomorrow onwards.

"The election code of conduct for the upcoming bypolls will come into enforcement from April 7 until the completion of elections," informed Shaligram Sharma Paudel, spokesperson at the Election Commission.

The by-elections are being held in Bara-2, Chitwan-2 and Tanahun-1 as these constituencies are now vacant.

Paudel also informed that the by-polls code of conduct shall be made effective in Tanahun-1, Chitwan-2 and Bara-2 constituencies until the election is completed.

The decision was taken today in accordance with the Election Code of Conduct, 2022.

All three levels of government officials and ministers are required to be abide by the election code of conduct.

Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to field party Chair Rabi Lamichhane in Chitwan-2, economist Swarnim Wagle in Tanahun-1 and former senior police officer Ramesh Kharel in Bara-2.

In Bara-2, Janata Samajbadi Party chair Upendra Yadav and Shiv Chandra Kushwaha of Janamat Party are vying for the Lower House seat.

The Nepali Congress, which has decided to field former student-wing president Govinda Bhattarai in Tanahun-1 and former district president Jeet Narayan Shrestha in Chitwan-2 for the by-elections, has decided to support Yadav in Bara-2. Loktantrik Samajbadi Party-Nepal and CPN-Maoist Centre) have also decided to support Yadav.

As the ruling coalition partners have been supporting common candidates of the alliance, the Maoist Centre has fielded no candidate from the party in any of the three constituencies.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 7, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.