2,025 voting to elect 19 NA members on Jan 26, UML facing tough challenge

KATHMANDU, Dec 22: Twenty members of the National Assembly, 59-member upper House of parliament, are retiring as lawmakers on March 4, later next year. 

Eight parliamentarians of the CPN-UML, four each of CPN (Maoist Center( and CPN (Unified Socialist), three of Nepali Congress and a nominated candidate are having their tenure expired as per the lots they had drawn in June 2018. 

Elections for 19 members, as one is to be nominated by the President at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, are being held in seven provinces between 9 AM and 3 PM on January 26. 

As many as 2,025 voters form electoral colleges in the provinces. The electoral college comprises members of respective provincial assemblies, chairs/mayors/vice-chairs/deputy mayors of local federal units [metropolis, sub-metropolis, municipalities and rural municipalities]. 

As many as 532 provincial assembly members and 1,493 those from local units are voting to elect new parliamentarians. New members will serve for the next six years. 

The polls have been taken as a tough trial for the main opposition CPN-UML which is most likely to face a joint challenge by the five-party ruling alliance. The alliance comprises NC, Maoist Center, Unified Socialist, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) and Rastriya Janamorcha (RJM). 

The ruling coalition partners are planning to contest the upcoming NA elections with the intact alliance, meaning the UML has to struggle to retain the eight seats in the upper House. 

Those UML lawmakers completing their four-year term from March 4  include three from Province 1 and five others from other provinces. 

Analyzing the equation, UML stands weak in six provinces but not in Province 1. The main opposition holds a majority in Province 1 even if the ruling alliance stands united. 

Polling centers in each province 

The Election Commission is preparing to set up two polling centers in Province 1 while there will be one each in other provinces. 

Calendar of events for NA elections 

According to the calendar of events for the upcoming elections for the vacant seats in the upper house,  the political parties will have to register at the commission for election. 

Similarly, it [EC] would publish the updated electoral roll on January 3. 

The nomination of candidates would take place on January 4. After making necessary decisions over the complaints and claims (if any) on the nominated candidates, the poll body is scheduled to publish the final list of candidates on January 9. The commission will assign election symbols to the aspiring candidates on the same day. 

As per the Constitution of Nepal, there is a  provision to conduct the election 35 days prior to the expiry of NA lawmakers’ tenure.

The by-polls are viewed as a trial of the ruling alliance and the main opposition, CPN-UML.

The weightage of a provincial assembly member is calculated as 48 whereas each vote by chairperson/mayor/vice-chairperson/deputy mayor holds a weight of 18.

Province 1

Voters: 272 from local federal units, 92 from provincial assembly 

UML: 4542

NC: 2610

Maoist Center: 960

CPN (US): 678

JSP: 216

RPP: 210 

UDF: 126 

UDNF: 48

Independent: 48 

Province 2: 

Voters: 268 from local federal units, 104 from provincial assembly 

Weightage: 

NC: 2262

Maoist Center: 1194

UML: 942

CPN (US): 750

JSP: 2988

DSP: 1560

DF: 108

FSP: 48

Independent: 36 

Bagmati Province: 

Voters: 237 from local federal units and 109 province assemblies 

Voting weightage: 9888

UML: 4152

NC: 2262 

Maoist: 1698 

BSP: 144
RPP: 132

Independent: 84 

Gandaki Province

Voters: 170 from local units and 59 from provincial assemblies 

Voting weightage: 

UML: 2538

NC: 2178

Maoist: 792 

JSP: 96 

RPP: 18
Independent: 138 

Lumbini Province

Voters: 215 from local levels and 81 from provincial assemblies 

Weightage: 7764

UML: 3276 

NC: 2064

Maoist: 1650 

CPN (US): 120 

JSP: 324 

DSP: 36 

RJM: 48 

RPP: 36 

DF: 36 

Independent: 126 

Karnali Province

Voters: 156 from local federal units and 35 from provincial assemblies 

Weightage: 4524

Maoist: 1494

UML: 1434

NC: 1008

RPP: 84

Independent: 108 

Sudur Paschim Province:

Voters: 175 (local) and 52 (provincial assemblies) 

Weightage:  5,664 

NC: 1872

UML: 1788

Maoist : 966 

CPN (US): 906 

JSP: 48 

DSF: 36 

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