Around 3,500 Candidates To Contest Nepal's Parliamentary Elections

KATHMANDU, Jan 21 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- As many as 3,484 candidates from various political parties and independents have filed nominations under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category for Nepal’s March 5  House of Representatives election, said an official on Tuesday evening, reported Xinhua.

Of the total, 2,297 candidates are from 68 political parties, while the remaining 1,187 have filed nominations as independents. "The number might change slightly after final verification," said Kul Bahadur GC, an assistant spokesperson at the commission.

Of the 275 seats in the House, 165 are elected through direct elections, also called FPTP, while the remaining 110 are elected under proportional representation based on the vote share the respective parties get.

President Ram Chandra Poudel, on the recommendation of the interim government formed after the violent Gen Z movement, dissolved the House of Representatives last September and announced the mid-term election on March 5. 

--BERNAMA-XINHUA