Seven parties file nominations for House of Representatives election in Mugu

Mugu: Seven political parties have filed their nominations for the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5. Although seven parties registered their candidacies at the Office of the Chief Election Officer, a fierce competition is expected primarily among three parties.

The main contenders are Khadga Bahadur Shahi from the Nepali Congress, Purna Bahadur Rokaya from the CPN (UML), and Chandra Bahadur Shahi from the Nepali Communist Party.

Among the four local levels, Khadga Bahadur Shahi of the Congress, Bhuwan Tamata of the RSP, and Rangbir Pariyar of the CPN (Maoist) are candidates from Khatyad Rural Municipality. Meanwhile, Chandra Bahadur Shahi of the Nepali Communist Party and Bal Bahadur Malla of the RPP are candidates from Soru Rural Municipality.

Etan Malla of the Progressive Democratic Party is a candidate from the district's only municipality, Chhayanath Rara, while Purna Bahadur Rokaya of the UML is a candidate from Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality.

In Mugu, which consists of a single constituency, despite the presence of four smaller parties, the main competition is anticipated between the Congress, UML, and the Nepali Communist Party.

Khadga Bahadur Shahi of the Congress, who was defeated in the 2017 provincial election, is contesting the House of Representatives election for the first time. Rokaya, the district committee chairman of the UML, is also entering the electoral fray for the first time. Rokaya is the former chief of the District Coordination Committee. 

Similarly, Chandra Bahadur Shahi of the Nepali Communist Party had previously won the 1999 parliamentary election and the 2017 provincial assembly election from constituency 'B'.

Based on previous voter statistics in Mugu, the Congress ranked first, UML second, Maoist third, and Unified Socialist fourth. However, following the unification of the Maoist and Unified Socialist parties, a three-way competition has emerged.

According to the Election Office, there are 36,031 voters in Mugu district. Across the four local levels, 67 polling stations and 79 polling centers have been designated.

The presence of female candidates in Mugu is zero. In the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, no political party in Mugu appeared to prioritize or nominate a woman as a candidate.