Minister for Communications Jagdish Kharel has said that he has not yet made any decision on contesting the upcoming election.
Speaking at an event organized by the Bhaktapur chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists on Wednesday, Kharel said that news reports on the matter had been presented somewhat differently.
“I have not joined any political party to date. I have not said whether I will contest the election or not. But the news has been coming out in a slightly different way. I have no objection to that. However, I will share the correct news through you today: I have not decided whether to contest the election or not,” he said.
He added that his and the government’s current focus is on conducting the election.
"I want to make it clear to you today—I have not yet decided to run in the election. Secondly, I want to clarify to you that as of today, I have not joined any party. I have not held talks or discussions," Minister Kharel said. "I haven't said I'm coming or going anywhere. I haven’t said anything at all. My entire focus right now is on successfully conducting the elections under the interim government led by Honorable Prime Minister Sushila Karki."
There had been speculation that Kharel was in discussions to contest the election from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). However, he clarified that he has not yet made any decision on the matter.
