South Asian News Network

Chitwan, June 26: Dr. Swarnim Wagle is the sole candidate for the vice-president post under the open category in the second phase of elections as part of the first national convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). For other positions, more candidates than required have registered their candidacies so elections will take place if consensus efforts fail. As per the final list of candidates issued by the party’s Central Election Commission, Sobhita Gautam and Dr. Tosima Karki will vie for one female vice-president position. Likewise, 10 candidates are contesting for the general secretary position. Among the candidates for general secretary are Kabindra Burlakoti, Pramod Nuepane, Rajunath Pandey, Manish Jha, Jagadish Kharel (Lalitpur), Ranju Darshana, Ganesh Karki, Ganesh Parajuli, Sagar Dhakal, and Bipin Kumar Acharya. For the two joint general secretary positions, 11 aspirants have filed their candidacies. Candidates aspiring for joint general secretary are Ramesh Prasai, Yagya Mani Neupane, Sulabh Kharel, Asim Shah, Ashok Kumar Chaudhary, Milan Limbu, Pukar Bam, Rajiv Khatri, Bijay Jaire, Hari Dhakal, and Himesh Pant. Similarly, the commission has stated that five women candidates – Julie Yadav, Jamuna Sharma, Kamini Kumari Chaudhary, Nisha Dangi, and Rima Bishwakarma – have filed their candidacies for the position of joint general secretary. The party also shared that efforts are being made for consensus. Only the 99 central members elected in the first phase are eligible to participate in the second phase of the election process according to the party’s arrangements. Meanwhile, the party’s outgoing general secretary Burlakoti and newly elected central member Jagadish Kharel (Lalitpur), who had filed for the general secretary position, have announced their withdrawal from the race. Election Commission chief Bhuwan KC stated that they have received information that efforts for consensus are ongoing in the process of selecting office bearers, but preparations are being made for election on the commission’s part. —