Kathmandu, April 18

Major parties are having a hard time picking candidates for mayoral posts in Kirtipur municipality and Kathmandu Metropolitan City, elections for which are slated for May 14.

“The Kirtipur municipality committee of the Nepali Congress has sent 10 names for mayor,” said party’s Kathmandu leader on condition of anonymity.  He told THT that the

list includes party’s Municipal Chair Krishna Man Dangol, local leaders Rajkumar Nakarmi, Pukar Shrestha, Badri Lal Maharjan, Pranaya Singh Munna, Ram Man Singh, Ram

Nath Khanal, Laxmi Rawal, Ram Babu Bista and Deepak Lama.

According to NC’s lawmaker and a member of the mechanism of the party to decide candidacy in Kathmandu Dipak Kuinkel,  almost all ward committees have an aspirant for the post of Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor. District leaders Rajuraj Joshi, Narottam Baidhya, Tritharam Dangol and  Nabin Chitrakar are some of the aspirants. “The party will pick a candidate  based on his/her popularity, active party work, competence in planning, implementation and decision making,” Kuinkel added. He said the party would finalise KMC mayor candidate by April 23.

The main opposition, CPN UML, has also been facing a similar problem. In Kathmandu Metropolitan City, party’s district leader Bidhya Sundar Shakya, former deputy mayor Bidur Mainali and Rambir Manandhar are aspiring to contest the mayor’s post. Shanti Adhikari, Bidhay Neupane, Rattna Gurung,  Bimala Khanal, Shyam Krishna Bhandari and Yogendra Sangraula are some of the other aspirants.

The UML source added that only one name has been recommended for each of 13 ward chairs of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. “The municipal committees have just begun their meeting to forward the names to district committee, which will make final recommendation to province committee.

Ruling CPN-Maoist Centre is considering Sarbottam Dangol and Umesh Sthapit for the post KMC mayor. “The party is even considering Prem Sagar Karmacharya, who is not from the party,” said the party’s Kathmandu in-charge  Lekhnath Neupane.  Kathmandu leader Rajaram Shrestha and actress Rekha Thapa are also aspiring to contest Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor’s post.