Four ministers from the caretaker Cabinet led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki have filed their nominations to contest Nepal’s general elections scheduled for March 5, after stepping down from their ministerial posts.
Science and Education Minister Mahabir Pun submitted his nomination from Myagdi district after resigning on Tuesday to contest the parliamentary election as an independent candidate.
Earlier, on Monday, Communication Minister Jagadish Kharel and Sports Minister Bablu Gupta resigned from their posts to enter the race for the House of Representatives (HoR). Kharel has filed his nomination from the Lalitpur-2 constituency on behalf of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, while Gupta is contesting from the Siraha-1 constituency.
A few weeks earlier, Minister for Energy and Water Resources Kulman Ghising had resigned and taken over as chairman of the Ujyaalo Nepal Party to contest the polls. Ghising filed his nomination on Tuesday from Kathmandu constituency No. 3.
According to officials, 18,903,689 voters, including 9,240,131 women, are eligible to cast their ballots in the upcoming general election.
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The elections were necessitated after former prime minister K P Sharma Oli resigned on September 9 last year following violent protests by a youth-led Gen Z group against his government over allegations of corruption and a ban on social media.
Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed interim prime minister on September 12, and on her recommendation, the President dissolved the House of Representatives and announced the election schedule.
