Rajbiraj, September 3

With just two days remaining for nomination filing, major political parties in Saptari are still unable to finalise candidates for the third phase of local level election scheduled for September 18 in Province 2.

Strong contenders for tickets have, however, started election publicity campaigns even though their parties have not announced their names officially.

Anish Ansari from CPN-Maoist Centre is the possible candidate for mayoral post of Rajbiraj Municipality but the party has not taken a decision yet.

Similarly, the Nepali Congress has been holding discussion to choose candidates for Rajbiraj Municipality. Shambhu Lal Dev, Irshad Ansari and Dhruba Prasad Dev Prabal are strong contenders for the mayoral post in the municipality. NC District President Dinesh Yadav said the party would declare candidates’ names by tomorrow.

The CPN-UML, however, has finalised its candidates in almost all local levels in the district. District Party Chairman Govinda Bahadur Neupane said they had been working out to finalise candidates in the remaining local levels. Likewise, Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal is also in the process of finalising candidates in Bodebarsain Municipality and Belhi Chapena and Rupani rural municipalities.

Gajendra Kumar Mandal of Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal said the party had finalised Sailesh Sah as the mayoral candidate for Hanuman Nagar Kankalini Municipality, Sankarlal Chaudhary for Surunga Municipality, Chandra Kanta Chaudhary for Shambhu Nath Municipality, Madhav Chaudhary for Kanchanrup Municipality and Amarendra Yadav for Bodebarsain Municipality. He said the party had chosen Bijaya Kumar Yadav as chairman candidate for Tiruhut Rural Municipality. “We have been holding discussion to finalise candidates in the remaining local levels,” he added.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Democratic has finalised Sailendra Kumar Sah as the mayoral candidate for Rajbiraj Municipality, Ashok Kumar Sah and Nabin Jha as chairman candidates for Bodebarsain Municipality Bihul Rural Municipality respectively.