153,220 candidacies registered for local level elections

KATHMANDU: A total of 153,220 candidacies have been registered for the upcoming local level elections slated for May 13. The country will be holding the local level elections for the second time after the promulgation of new constitution. The elections will be held for six metropolises, 11 sub-metropolises, 276 municipalities, 460 rural municipalities and 6,743 wards. The elections will elect mayors and deputy mayors at metropolises, sub-metropolises and municipalities; chairpersons and vice-chairpersons at rural municipalities and chairpersons and members at wards. According to the Election Commission Nepal (EC), the total number of voters (completing 18 years till April 12) is 17,733,723. Of them, 8,992,010 are males, 8,741,530 are females and 183 are others. Similarly, there will be 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 polling booths. Of the total candidates, 95,253 are males and 57,967 are females.  The candidates from six political parties recognised by the EC as the national-level parties are 33,503 from CPN (UML), 31,425 from Nepali Congress while 22,279 represent the CPN (Maoist Centre) and 11,330 represent the CPN (Unified Socialist). Similarly, 9,481 will be competing from the Janata Samajbadi Party and 4,761 from the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. The number of independent candidates stands at 12,789 while the number of candidates from 13 political parties, out of 89 registered at the EC, for the May 13 polls is nil. As the EC said, Baigyanik Samajbadi Party, Samajik Loktantrik Party, Trimul Nepal, Miteri Party Nepal, Rastriya Bikash Party, Nepalbad, Lokdal, Nepal Aama, Samabeshi Loktantrik, Sanghiya Khumbuwan, Nepal Sukumbasi (Loktantrik), Nepal Naulo Janabad and Maoist Janamukti Party Nepal have no election candidates. The EC has put a ceiling on the election expenditures by poll candidates. Candidates for mayor and deputy mayor in a metropolitan city can spend not exceeding Rs 750,000 each. Similarly, mayoral and deputy mayoral candidates in a sub metropolitan city are barred from spending over Rs 550,000 each and its ward chair and member Rs 250,000 each. Likewise, candidates for mayor and deputy mayor in a municipality cannot spend more than Rs 450,000 each and its ward chair and member Rs 200,000 each. Also, chair and vice chair candidates in a rural municipality cannot spend over Rs 350,000 each and its ward chair and member Rs 150,000. UML's election symbol 'Sun' is placed in the first row of the ballot paper coloured green this time. Similarly, NC's election symbol 'Tree' is in the second row, Maoist Center's 'Sickle and hammer' inside a circle in the third row, JSP's 'Umbrella' in the fourth row, LSP's 'Bicycle' in the fifth row and CPN (US)'s 'Pen' in the sixth row. So far, 9,111,000 ballot papers have been supplied to 49 districts across the country, according to the EC. The transportation of ballot papers to the remaining districts is underway, it said, adding that they will be supplied to 12 districts of Lumbini Province today itself. The transportation of ballot papers started on April 26. So far, 18,045,000 ballot papers for 76 districts except for Bhaktapur and six metropolitan cities have been printed, said the EC. (With inputs from RSS) READ ALSO:

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