Bajura, November 9

Thirteen former and serving ministers including the current prime minister are in the fray in the upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections in Province 7.

PM and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba is contesting for the parliament from Dadeldhura. Deuba, who has won all elections he contested from the district since 1991, is taking on CPN-MC leader and left alliance candidate Khagaraj Bhatta.

While NC central member and former minster NP Saud is contesting from Kanchanpur-2, NC central member and former minister Ramesh Lekhak has also thrown in his hat for a parliamentary seat from Kanchanpur-3.

Similarly, five former ministers are in the fray in Kailali that consists of five constituencies. Former state minister Janak Chaudhary, who was in Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum Democratic earlier, is contesting for a provincial seat from Constituency No 1 representing the NC. While former education state minister Mohansingh Rathaur, who defected to the NC from the UML, is contesting for the parliament from Constituency No 2, two former ministers Ram Janam Chaudhary and Gauri Shankar Tharu are locking their horn for the parliament in Constituency No 3.

Former labour minister and CPN-MC leader Lekharaj Bhatta is contesting for a parliamentary seat from Constituency No 4.

Baitadi, which has only one parliamentary constituency, is all set to see electoral battle between state minister for commerce and NC leader Nara Bahadur Chand and former state minister for finance and UML leader Damodar Bhandari, who is a common candidate of the left alliance.

In Achham, UML Vice-chairperson and former deputy minister Bhim Rawal is contesting for the parliament. He is taking on Nepali Congress’s Bharat Swar. In Doti, Congress leader and minister for physical planning and construction Bir Bahadur Balayar is fighting as a parliamentary candidate.

Likewise, former minister Naresh Bahadur Singh (NC) is contesting for a provincial seat from Bajhang. In Bajura, Nepali Congress’s Janakraj Giri, who is also former assistant minister, is contesting for a provincial assembly seat.

Bajura’s Karna Bahadur Thapa, Darchula’s Dilendra Prasad Badu, Bajhang’s Bhanubhakta Joshi, Kailali’s Dirgharaj Bhat are former ministers who are not in the fray this time. While the province will have first phase of provincial and parliamentary elections on November 26 in four districts, namely, Bajura, Bajhang, Baitadi and Darchula, elections in Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Doti and Achham of the province will take place in the second phase on December 7.