Candidacy filing encouraging: EC

<p><span style="line-height: 1.42857;">The Election Commission (EC) has said the candidacy filing in 34 districts was encouraging for the first phase of local election slated for May 14.&nbsp;</span><br></p><p>According to the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr Ayodhi Prasad Yadav, the filing of candidacy yesterday concluded peacefully. Yadav said that although the political parties did not show for long in the first hour, there was pressure in the afternoon, which continued till late evening.&nbsp;</p><p>CEC Dr Yadav had reached the offices of the chief returning officers at Kathmandu and Lalitpur and inspected the candidacy filing. The spirit among the political parties was encouraging, he told the media.&nbsp;</p><p>Similarly, Security sources said that the filing of nominations for the local-level elections was held peacefully in the provinces no. 3, 4 and 6.&nbsp;</p><p>Nepal Police Spokesperson SSP Sarbendra Khanal shared that the nomination of candidacies was peaceful except some minor untoward incidents in all three provinces.&nbsp;</p><p>Meanwhile, a total of 24 people have filed their candidacy for the post of Mayor and 12 for the post of deputy Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.&nbsp;</p><p>Those contesting for the post of Mayor include Raju Raj Joshi from NC, Bidhya Sundar Shakya from CPN-UML, Sarbottam Das Dangol of CPN (MC), among other party and independent candidates. and Lalitpur districts. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>Similarly, &nbsp;vying for the post of deputy Mayor are Hari Prabha Khadgi of Nepali Congress, Sushila Poudel of CPN-MC, Rajaram Shrestha of RPP, among other party and independent candidates. CPN (UML) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party have entered into an alliance for the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Kathmandu Metropolitan city.&nbsp;</p><p>Likewise, various political parties have filed their candidacies for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor at Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolis.&nbsp;</p><p>The Nepali Congress has fielded Ramaji Kunwar as mayor candidate and Saraswati Gurung for the deputy mayor. Similarly, CPN-UML has put forth Man Bahadur GC as mayor candidate and Manju Gurung as the deputy mayor. CPN (Maoist-Centre) has fielded Bishwo Prakash Lamichhane for the post of mayor and Goma Dhakal for deputy mayor.&nbsp;</p><p>Three major political parties among other parties and independent candidates have filed candidacies for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor at Bharatpur Metropolitan City.&nbsp;</p><p>Dinesh Koirala from the Nepali Congress, Devi Prasad Gyawali from the CPN-UML and Renu Dahal from the CPN (Maoist Centre) have filed their candidacies for the mayor's post.&nbsp;</p><p>Similarly, Parbati Saha from NC, Divya Sharma Acharya from CPN-UML and Surendra Gurung from CPN (Maoist Centre) have filed their candidacies to the post of deputy-mayor.</p><p>Likewise, major political parties have filed their candidacies for post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for Lalitpur Metropolitan City. Chiribabu Maharjan is Nepali Congress's candidate for the post of Mayor while Urmila Geeta Satyal is vying for deputy mayor. Similarly, Hari Krishna Byenjenkar is the UML's mayor candidate. Likewise Dinesh Maharjan and Hasina Shakya are CPN MC's Mayor and Deputy Mayor candidates respectively.&nbsp;</p>