Kathmandu, October 15

Political parties today included some of their top leaders in the closed list of candidates of the Proportional Representation elections for the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies.

According to Nepali Congress leader Arjun Narsing KC, the party included senior leaders Kul Bahadur Gurung, Dilendra Badu, Sujata Koirala, Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Bal Krishna Khand in its list.

According to the party’s Central Office Chief Krishna Paudel, the party prepared the  names of PR candidates, which included 17 male and 17 female from Khas Arya, 16 male and 16 female from indigenous community, four female and three male from Tharu community, eight  female and seven male from Madhesi community and three female and two male from Muslim community.

A source close to the CPN-UML said the  party submitted its PR closed list including senior leaders  Mukunda Neupane and Radha Gawali. Party Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said all of the top leaders would contest in the First-Past-the- Post system.

UML Vice-chair Bhim Rawal said the party did not get enough time to manage the list before the Parliament was dissolved as per the law.

CPN-Maoist Centre has included its leaders Ram Bahadur Thapa, Onsari Gharti Magar and other leaders in its list.

Talking to The Himalayan Times, CPN-MC Spokesperson Pampha Bhushal said the party had submitted the list as per the law.

She however refused to disclose the names of leaders.

According to a source close to the CPN-MC, outgoing Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar, party leader Rekha Sharma, Jayapuri Gharti and Mani Thapa are also included in the list.

The top three parties submitted the names at the last hour.

According to CPN-UMl leader Krishna Gopal Shrestha, the registration of the closed PR list was delayed as the parties had a hard time finalising their lists.