Kathmandu, May 2
The main opposition CPN-UML has finally decided to field Bidya Sundar Shakya as the candidate of Mayor in Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Shakya will also get support from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party in exchange for UML’s support to the RPP candidate for the Deputy Mayor.
The two parties have agreed to form alliances in Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Accordingly, UML has fielded its candidate Hari Krishna Byanjankar in Lalitpur.
Party’s top leaders picked Shakya after another aspirant Jeevan Ram Shrestha also extended his support to Shakya.
The party had reportedly mulled over the name of human rights activist Gauri Pradhan as well for the position. Pradhan, however, had pulled himself out citing he was going to the United States soon.
Shakya is the current secretary of UML Kathmandu District Committee. He had won the ward chairperson in KMC-21 in 1992 and 1997 local elections.
He is said to be close to party Chairman KP Sharma Oli. It has been learned that Vice-Chairman Bamdev Gautam had proposed former KMC Mayor Keshav Sthapit’s name for the elections, which other leaders had rejected.
