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Kathmandu, Jan 23: Candidates who filed nominations for the House of Representatives election may withdraw their candidacy today if they wish. According to the Election Commission’s schedule, nominations can be withdrawn until 1 pm.

The final list of candidates will be published between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. today.

Election symbols will be allocated to candidates from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. this evening.

A total of 3,486 candidacies have been registered across 165 constituencies nationwide. Nomination filing was completed simultaneously across the country on Magh 6. Of the total candidates, 3,089 are men, 396 women, and one falls under the “other” category.

The House of Representatives election will be held on Falgun 21. Under the constitutional provision for the 275-member House, 110 members will be elected through the proportional representation system and 165 through the direct electoral system.

How are election symbols allocated?

According to the Election Commission, if more than one candidate remains on the final list in a constituency, the election officer must allocate an election symbol to each candidate.

Political parties are assigned election symbols as per Schedule 30, while independent candidates are assigned symbols as per Schedule 31.

When allocating an election symbol to a party candidate, the election officer must provide the symbol officially assigned to that party.

The Commission has clarified that once an election symbol is assigned, it does not change even if the candidate leaves the party or joins another party. If such a candidate is elected and the concerned party files a complaint with evidence, the candidate’s membership will be cancelled.

For independent candidates, the election officer must allocate a symbol from the group of symbols designated for independent use.

The Commission stated that independent candidates or their representatives must be allowed to choose a symbol in the presence of the election officer. If the candidate or representative is absent, the election officer will allocate a symbol from the remaining options chosen by the candidates or representatives present.

If more than one independent candidate chooses the same symbol, priority will be given based on the alphabetical order of the candidates’ names in Nepali.

The Commission has also clarified that even if a political party does not nominate any candidate in an election, its assigned election symbol will not be given to any other candidate.

After allocating election symbols, the election officer will enter the details into the Integrated Election Management Information System, and no changes will be allowed thereafter.

People’s News Monitoring Service