Baburam Bhattarai has withdrawn his candidacy from Gorkha-2 on Tuesday.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti and Lekhnath Neupane of Nepali Communist Party are also candidates there.
Bhattarai was a candidate from the Progressive Democratic Party in Gorkha-2. Bhattarai was contesting for the fourth time having won elections in 2008, 2013 to 2017.
Bhattarai announced withdrawal of his candidacy through the social media. According to the Election Officer of Gorkha-2, Mohan Belbase Bhattarai submitted an application for withdrawal of his candidacy through his representative Narayan Khatri. Previously, RSP President Rabi Lamichhane and Vice President Swornim Wagle had requested Bhattarai to withdraw his candidacy and support the party in Gorkha.
RSP President Lamichhane requested Bhattarai, who has been consistently winning elections from there, to support the party’s General Secretary Kabindra Burlakoti this time. According to Burlakoti, Lamichhane called Bhattarai to make the request. "Bhattarai is a voice for change. He has always stood firmly in favor of transformation. At a time when the country is on the threshold of change, RPP president has requested Bhattarai, both personally and institutionally, to support us this time by withdrawing his candidacy," Burlakoti said.
Burlakoti is a candidate from that constituency for the second time. Burlakoti was defeated by the then Chairman of CPN (Maoist Center) Pushpa Kamal Dahal in 2017.
RSP Vice President Wagle also requested Bhattarai through the social media to withdraw his candidacy expressing hope that Bhattarai can fulfill a role of senior guardian in guiding RSP as a former prime minister.
Wagle stated that the RSP-led federal government that could be formed after the election has much to learn from his experience in the political-administrative, good governance, and development-related transitional management.
