Kathmandu, September 17
The main opposition CPN-UML, which wants to emerge as the biggest political force, from upcoming provincial and federal elections scheduled for November and December, is planning to finalise the list of leaders who will vie for chief ministers in all provinces.
Further, the party will assign its chief ministerial candidates to command the poll campaigns in the respective provinces.
The party’s Central Committee meeting is beginning in Kathmandu this Friday and it is likely to begin discussions on the names, according to the party source.
UML Central Office Secretary Krishna Gopal Shrestha says the party will launch the poll campaign only after finalising the candidate for Prime Minister at the federal level and chief ministers at the provincial level.
It is almost certain that the party will float the name of Chairman KP Sharma Oli as the PM’s candidate.
Multiple party sources say, one of the following leaders is likely to be chosen as the party’s candidate for chief minister in respective provinces:
- Province 1: Yogesh Bhattarai, Bhim Acharya or Sher Dhan Rai
- Province 2: Satya Narayan Mandal, Nagendra Chaudhary or Raghubir Mahaseth
- Province 3: Ashtalaxmi Shakya
- Province 4: Prithvi Subba Gurung, Kiran Gurung or Rabindra Adhikari
- Province 5: Shankar Pokharel, Gokarna Bista or Chhabilal Bishwakarma
- Province 6: Prakash Jwala or Yamalal Kandel
- Province 7: Bhim Rawal, Karna Bahadur Thapa or Bhanubhakta Joshi
