Senior leader of Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) Rajendra Mahato is preparing to contest the by-election in the House of Representatives constituency of Bara-2 on April 23.
According to a source, Mahato has already started preparations to contest the by-election.
Mahato had lost to Nepal Samajwadi Party’s Mahindra Raya Yadav, who had contested the election on CPN (Maoist Center)’s election symbol, in the November 20 election in Sarlahi-2.
Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav is almost certain to fight the by-election in Bara-2.
Mahato said that he is facing pressure from the party and cadres to become a candidate as nobody else is capable of defeating Yadav.
“I’ve not made a final decision on filing candidacy yet. But there’s pressure to become a candidate,” Mahato told Setopati.
On Wednesday, Janamat Party Chairman CK Raut decided to field Shiva Chandra Kushwaha against Upendra Yadav in the by-election. Kushwaha has quit Maoist Center and joined Janamat Party to contest the by-election.
Kushwaha had lost to Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav of JSP by a small margin in Bara-2 in the November 20 election.
Kushwaha had secured 13,823 votes and lost to Yadav by just 355 votes. Kushwaha had the support of Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (Unified Socialist) and LSP while JSP was supported by UML after Upendra Yadav quit the then ruling coalition just before filing of nominations due to differences over sharing of seats and allied with UML.
A by-election is scheduled to be held in the constituency on April 23 as the seat has fallen vacant after Yadav’s election as vice-president.
