Maoists chairman Prachanda files candidacy from Kathmandu

Kathmandu, Feb 25 (UNI) More than 2,000 candidates from different parties, including Maoists chairman Prachanda, filed their candidacy for the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls to be held on April 10, despite protests in the Terai in which two people were reported to have been killed.

Nepal Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has not filed the candidacy this time in the direct election.

However, his name tops the list of the Nepali Congress candidates in the closed list to be nominated after the election on the basis of proportionate representation system.

Maoists chairman Prachanda has filed his candidature from Kathmandu constituency No 10 and Rolpa constituency No 2 in mid western Nepal from where the Maoists insurgency began in 1996. This is the first time that Prachanda has sought to be elected in parliament.

Maoists No 2 Dr Baburam Bhattarai is the candidate from Gorkha constituency No 2.

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and CPN, UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal have also filed their candidacy from two constituencies each. Deuba is to contest from Dadeldhura and Kanchanpur while Nepal from Rautahat and Kathmandu constituency No 2.

Acting President of the Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala from Banke and senior vice chairman Ram Chandra Paudyal are contesting the election from Banke and Tanahu constituencies respectively.

Nepali Congress, CPN, UML and Maoists have said they have filed the candidacy in all the 240 constituencies in 75 districts while other small parties have filed from their stronghold.

Recently formed Madhesi parties did not file the candidacy despite the fulfilment of their demands. The agitating Madhesi parties wanted to postpone the already two times postponed election while the government of the seven parties alliance refused to do so.

Meanwhile, local media reports said one person was killed when police was trying to control the mob in Saptari district in eastern Terai while a policeman was killed in a clash with protesters in Sunsari.

UNI XC NY BST2338