Kathmandu, October 23

Dolakha, a part of Province 3, is at the top in terms of registration of first-past-the-post candidacies for the first phase of elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies scheduled for November 26.

The lowest candidacy is from Manang, the district beyond the Himalayas, which lies in Province 4.

The Election Commission had fixed October 22 as the date for filing candidacies for elections under the FPTP system. In the first phase, the House of Representatives election is taking place in 37 electoral constituencies and the State Assemblies election is being held in 74 constituencies of 32 districts.

According to the EC, 42 candidates have submitted their papers from Dolakha that is sending one member to the House of Representatives and two to the State Assembly. Of them, 16 are contesting for the House of Representatives while candidacies for the remaining 24 are for the State Assembly.

Likewise, in Manang that has been allocated one constituency for the federal parliamentary elections and two for the State Assembly, two have filed their nominations for the centre and five for the State Assembly.

Dolakha is followed by Ramechhap in terms of the number of candidates aspiring to compete for the elections. For one seat in the House of Representatives, 14 candidacies have been registered while 22 have filed nominations for two seats in the State Assembly.

Mustang, the neighouring district of Manang, has witnessed the registration of lowest candidacies after Manang. Two have filed candidacies for one seat in the House of Representatives and six for the State Assembly that has two electoral constituencies.

According to the Election Commission, altogether 807 people have filed their candidacy for the first phase of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies elections to be held on November 26. The first phase of elections is taking place in 32 districts in all seven provinces. Of the total 807 persons filing candidacies, 323 have registered their candidacy for the House of Representatives election and 484 for the State Assembly elections.

The date for registering nominations of candidacy for the second phase election is on November 2.

Election will take place for the 275-member House of Representatives which includes 165 members in the FPTP system and 110 members in the proportional representation system.