Kathmandu, May 4

The Election Commission today unveiled a list of 49,207 candidates, who have thrown their hats in the ring for the first phase of local level elections slated for May 14.

They will compete for posts of mayor, deputy mayor, chief and deputy chiefs of rural municipalities, as well as other posts in 283 local levels of 34 districts in Provinces 3, 4, and 6.

Among them Kathmandu district has the highest number — 3,506 — nominees, whereas only 233 candidates, the lowest, filed their nomination in Manang district, according to the EC’s data.

The EC said 887 candidates had filed nominations in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The number was the highest among the four metropolitan cities.

As many as 28 candidates have filed nomination for the post of mayor in KMC, whereas only 13 are in the fray for the post of deputy mayor.

The EC said 227 candidates were vying for posts of 32 ward chiefs, while 364 were contesting posts of ward members. As many as 175 contestants are vying for women members’ posts, while 80 are in the fray for Dalit women’s post.

As many as 865 candidates filed nomination in Lekhnath Metropolitan City of Pokhara, which is the second largest in number after KMC.

The EC said 17 candidates filed their nomination for mayoral post, 11 for deputy mayoral post, 208 for the post of ward chiefs, 327 for ward members’ posts, 157 for women members’ posts and 145 for Dalit women quota.

The EC said there were 700 contestants in Bharatpur Metropolitan City. According  to the EC, 15 candidates filed nomination for the post of mayor, 12 for deputy mayor, 162 for ward chiefs’ posts, 263 for ward members’ posts, 131 for women member posts and 117 in Dalit women members’ quota.

In Lalitpur Metropolitan City, 638 candidates have filed nominations — 17 for the post of mayor, 12 for deputy mayor, 164 for ward chief, 264 for ward members’ post, 129 for women members’ post and 54 for Dalit women posts.

Local level elections will be held in four metropolitan cities, one sub-metropolitan city, 92 municipalities and 186 rural municipalities of 34 districts in the first phase on May 14.

Nominations were filed for a total of 123 ward chiefs of four metropolitan cities, 19 ward chiefs of sub-metropolitan city and 1,091 ward-chiefs of municipalities.

Nominations for 1,365 ward chiefs were filed for rural municipalities. The EC said nominations were filed for 10,392 ward members, four in each for 2,598 wards of metropolis, sub-metropolis, municipalities and rural municipalities.

Besides, candidacies were also filed for additional 5,196 posts of women members and Dalit women members in 2,598 wards of the three provinces where polls are set to be held on May 14.

Meanwhile, the election body said tomorrow it would publish the final list of candidates and provide them poll symbols.