4 months ago
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Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai connected Friday (January 23, 2026) withdrew his candidacy from Nepal's upcoming wide elections, saying helium was honouring the sentiments of the Himalayan nation's youth.
Mr. Bhattarai, 71, had earlier filed his information for the House of Representatives (HoR) from Gandaki province's Gorkha-2 constituency representing the Pragatisheel Lokatantrik Party.
Announcing the withdrawal of his candidacy successful a video connection connected societal media, Mr. Bhattarai said helium took the determination honouring the sentiments of the younger procreation and the voters of Gorkha district.
"I volition enarthrosis the work arsenic a guardian successful the nationalist authorities without limiting myself to a definite party," helium said.
Elections successful Nepal, which volition instrumentality spot connected March 5, were necessitated aft then-Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned connected September 9, pursuing convulsive protests by the youth-led Gen Z radical against his authorities implicit corruption and a prohibition connected societal media.
Sushila Karki, 73, became the interim Prime Minister connected September 12 and connected her recommendation, the President dissolved the HoR and announced the predetermination date.
With Mr. Bhattarai's withdrawal, 3 erstwhile Prime Ministers are present contesting the elections from antithetic constituencies.
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) seat Oli is contesting from Jhapa 5, Nepali Communist Party (NCP) coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' is contesting from Rukum East, and NCP lawman coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal is contesting from Rautahat 1.
Separately, the Election Commission (EC) has said it is strictly monitoring the accusation disseminated done online quality portals arsenic good arsenic idiosyncratic societal media accounts to debar misuse of accusation that tin interaction the predetermination process.
"We are monitoring chiefly 3 categories of toxic accusation dissemination, including misinformation, disinformation and hatred speech," said EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai.
Those violating the predetermination codification of behaviour by disseminating harmful accusation volition beryllium brought to justice, helium added.
