Mahendranagar, March 14:

One-hundred-and-fifty-four candidates filed their candidacy for the by-election in six vacant Constituent Assembly seats today. The by-election is scheduled for April 10.

According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission, the candidates filed their papers from 10 am to 5 pm. The by-election will be held in Constituency-5 and 7 of Morang, Dhanusha-5, Kaski-1, Kanchanpur-4 and Rolpa-2.

Sixteen people filed candidacy in Kanchanpur-4. Harish Thakulla (Kamal Chhetri)

of Unified CPN-Maoist, Nirudevi Pal of CPN-UML, Yagyaraj Joshi of Nepali Congress and Hari Kishan Damai of MJF filed their candidacy, among others, in Kanchanpur-4, according to the District Election Office.

The political parties have also started publicity campaigns for the polls. There are 67,036 voters in Kanchanpur-4, according to district election officer Kirshna Prasad Kharel.

A report from Janakpur said, a total of 55 candidates filed their nominations in Dhanusha-5. Dr Chandra Mohan Yadav, the son of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, filed his candidacy on behalf of the Nepali Congress. Raghubir Mahaseth of CPN-UML, Shree Krishna Yadav of Tarai Madesh Democratic Party (TMDP), Mahadev Yadav of Unified CPN-M, Siyaram Ray Yadav of MJF and Ram Govinda Yadav of Nepal Sadbhawana Party, among others, filed their

candidacy, the district election office said.

A report from Pokhara said, 19 persons filed nominations in Kaski-1. Krishna Bahadur Gurung of Unified CPN-M, Dipak Gurung of NC, Shaligram Poudel of CPN-UML and Nanda Bahadur Gurung of RPP, among others, filed their candidacy. Three independent candidates also filed candidacy in Kaski-1. Man Bahadur GC of UML has filed his candidacy as an independent candidate. Interestingly, Takosi Miyahara, a Japanese national filed his candidacy on behalf of Nepal Rastriya Bikash Party.

A report from Rolpa said, a total of 15 candidates, including four independent, filed their candidacy for the by-election in Rolpa-2.

Santosh Budha Magar of Unified CPN-M, Gangaram Dangi of NC, Hari Prasad Gharti Magar of UML and Dal Bir Pun of RPP, among others, are contesting the polls in Rolpa-2. Kamalman Budha Magar of the Unified CPN-M filed his candidacy as an independent candidate. There are 81,899 voters in Rolpa-2.

A report from Biratnagar said, 25 candidates, including 12 independent, filed their candidacy in Morang-5 and 24 in Morang-7.

Jagannath Singh (Gangai) of NC, Shiv Kumar Mandal of Unified CPN-M, Jeevan Ghimire of CPN-UML, Jayaram Yadav of MJF and Umesh Giri of TMDP, among others, filed the candidacy in Morang-5.

Similarly, Dr Shekhar Koirala of NC, Bijay Kumar Biswas (Tharu) of Unified CPN-M, Binod Dhakal of CPN-UML, Chum Narayan Tabdar of MJF and Hari Narayan Shah of TMDP, among others, filed candidacy in Morang-7, the district election office said.