Nepali Congress (NC) is set to field Dambar Bahadur Khadka in Ilam-2 House of Representatives constituency and Abhishek Singh in Bajhang-1(A) of the provincial assembly of Far West in the upcoming by-election.
The grand old party looks set to field Khadka and Sigh, who are both from the faction of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, with Deuba refusing to field others even after four days of discussion in the party.
Deuba and other NC office-bearers held discussion with those recommended for candidacy in Ilam-2 at the Deuba residence in Budhanilkantha Thursday morning.
All the aspirants claimed that they will win the election but added that the party should send a message that NC is united by picking the candidate unanimously.
“It is almost confirmed that Khadka will get the ticket for Ilam and Singh for Bajhang as President Deuba did not budge from his stance,” an office-bearer confided with Setopati. “Working committee meeting will be held at Budhanilkantha later on Thursday. That will take the formal decision.”
Leader Shekhar Koirala, who had lost the run-off for NC president to Deuba in the last general convention, and General Secretary Gagan Thapa have demanded that Behsh Raj Acharya, who was ranked top while being recommended by the local party committee, be fielded in Ilam-2 and Jagat Joshi in Bajhang but to no avail.
The Ilam-2 constituency has been vacant after the death of CPN-UML Vice-chairman Subash Nembang on September 12, 2023 and Bajhang-1(A) after the death of Prithvi Bahadur Singh who was elected on an NC ticket.
Khadka had lost to Nembang by a very slender margin in Ilam-2 and Singh is son of Prithvi Bahadur Singh.
The Election Commission has set the by-election for April 27.
