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Kathmandu, Jan 19: Ten leaders of the Nepali Congress have announced they will not contest the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5. The leaders have made public declarations that they will stay out of the race.

Among those opting out is Vice-President Bishwa Prakash Sharma, elected at the party’s special general convention and directly elected from Jhapa–1 in 2017. He stated he will focus on party work instead.

Other leaders who have issued statements of withdrawal include former ministers Hridayaram Thani, Dilendra Prasad Badu, and Dr Narayan Khadka, all of whom have previously won multiple elections as Congress candidates.

Balbahadur KC announced he will not run along with all local leaders in his district. Shiv Humagai of Kavre also declared he will stay out during a meeting held by Dr Shekhar Koirala’s group in Kathmandu.

Badri Pandey, former Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation during the Gen Z movement, stated he will not contest any direct, proportional, or National Assembly seat. Speaking from his home district, Bajura, Pandey cited his inability to fully address the demands of young protesters while in government as a reason for not running. He was elected from Bajura in 2022 and previously served as a National Assembly member and Constituent Assembly member in 2013.

Rajendra Kumar KC, who has won three consecutive elections from Kathmandu-10, also announced he will not run in any category, citing the need to lead the party’s transformation and generational renewal.

Other leaders stepping aside include Jip Chirring Lama of Dolakha, who informed local leaders and workers of his decision. Lama was a member of the first Constituent Assembly in 2008 and contested unsuccessfully in 2013. Former Agriculture Minister and Dhading Congress chief Ramnath Adhikari, who resigned during the Gen Z movement in 2023, has also declared he will not contest. He was elected from Dhading-2 in 2022.

This wave of withdrawals marks a significant shift in Nepali Congress’s senior leadership and could reshape its electoral strategy in key districts.

People’s News Monitoring Service