PM Deuba, among others, facing challenge from their own PAs
DHANGADI, OCTOBER 13
The final name list of candidates contesting the upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections was published today, one day after the Election Commission allotted election symbols for the November 20 polls.
In Sudurpaschim Province, the final name list of candidates has drawn quite a bit of interest, apparently because of the candidacies of sitting and former personal assistants of the prime minister, chief minister and others, in some places PA members are contesting against their own former bosses.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's former personal assistant Karna Bahadur Malla has filed his candidacy from Dadeldhura.
He is contesting on behalf of Nepali Congress (BP) against Nepali Congress candidate and PM Deuba. With the publication of the final name list, he is busy wooing voters.
Similar is the scenario in Kailali Constituency-1 A.
Here, Lokatantrik Samajbadi Party's Krishna Bahadur Chaudhary, who was elected in the last Provincial Assembly election five years ago from Rastriya Janata Party, is facing a challenge from his former personal assistant Kailash Chaudhary, who is also the chairperson of Nagarik Unmukti Party, Kailali.
Meanwhile, Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Trilochan Bhatta and Land Management Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Binitadevi Chaudhary were upstaged by their own personal assistants, who secured election ticket instead of their bosses and are contesting in the upcoming election this time around. While the chief minister's party has given election ticket to his personal assistant Shivasingh Oli instead of minister Chaudhary, her PA Dirgharaj Binadi got the election ticket this time around. Both Oli and Binadi are contesting with the CPN-MC's election symbol.
Neither the chief minister nor the minister have made any formal comment regarding the matter.
While Binadi is contesting from Kailali-1 A, Oli is running from Doti Constituency B. Earlier, both Bhatta and Chaudhary were aspiring for HoR seats, but as they couldn't secure the tickets, they had wished to contest in the province-level election.
However, their party chose their PAs instead.
A version of this article appears in the print on October 14, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
