NC may contest top provincial posts

Kathmandu, January 30

With the left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Centre expediting the process of finalising candidates for chief ministers, speakers and deputy speakers, the Nepali Congress is also holding informal consultations to field its candidates for the posts.

The NC plans to contest the CM’s post in all provinces, except Province 2. The party also plans to depute a central working committee member in each province to finalise candidates and coordinate the whole election process, an NC leader told THT. “We’ll contest to ensure that left alliance candidates do not win unanimously,” said the NC leader.

NC Spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma, however, said nothing had been decided yet and discussion was at a preliminary stage. He added that two options were being explored: fielding candidates as per democratic norms that call for competition, and not fielding candidates and letting other parties form provincial governments easily.

Meanwhile, the Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal and the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have reached an understanding on sharing power to form the government in Province 2. “As per the understanding, FSF-N will get the CM’s post, while RJP-N will get posts of deputy CM and assembly speaker,” RJP-N General Secretary Keshav Jha told THT. FSF-N’s Sailendra Prasad Saha, Bijaya Yadav and Lal Babu Raut have staked claim to the CM’s post in Province 2.