Pokhara, November 10

Sherman Gharti, who had filed his candidacy as an independent candidate for Provincial Assembly at Baglung-2 (B), announced withdrawal of his candidacy through a press statement this evening.

Earlier, Gharti was airlifted to Baglung headquarters with security personnel from Burtibang. The time for withdrawing candidacy had expired before he reached the Office of Chief Election Officer. The deadline for withdrawing candidacy was 1:00pm.

Nepali Communist Party and Rastriya Janamorcha had agreed to support Janamorcha’s candidate in the by-election. Baglung Chief Election Officer Basudev Neupane said no one had visited his office to withdraw candidacy. “Gharti’s name is in the list of candidates as he has not withdrawn his candidacy,” he said.

Police had taken Gharti and his friend Tulashi Aryal, who were busy with polls publicity under control from Burtibang and airlifted Gharti to the headquarters, said eyewitnesses. The by-election was slated for November 30 at Baglung-2(B) as Janamorcha’s lawmaker Tek Bahadur Gharti had died.

With NCP support, Janamorcha’s Khim Bikram Shahi has become the common candidate of Janamorcha and Nepal Communist Party. Nepali Congress has made Jit Bahadur Serchan its candidate.

Dissatisfied with selection of candidate, Sherman had filed candidacy as an independent. He was mayoral candidate of Dhorpatan Municipality from the former CPN-Maoist Centre in the last local polls. Later, the NCP-Janamorcha alliance supported Janamorcha’s candidate for the by-polls. Rastriya Janamorcha’s Shahi, NC’s Sherchan, Samajwadi Party’s Ashok BK, Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s Ganesh Bahadur Kunwar and Rastriya Prajatantra Party Samyukta’s Nim Bahadur Bhandari have registered their candidacies for the vacant post. Anil Kumar Rai, Yam Bahadur Ale and Mitra Bahadur Magar have filed their candidacies from Federal Loktantrik Rastriya Manch, Rastriya Janamukti Party and Mongol National Organisation respectively.