Khadka has won all the elections except the mid-term parliamentary poll held in 1994, and he is now one of the proposed candidates from Dailekh constituency no. 1 for the coming Constituent Assembly poll.[break]
Another NC leader, Mukti Prasad Sharma of Pyuthan district, also contested all the elections held since 1990. Sharma, who won two of the elections and lost twice, has been proposed as a candidate under the first-past-the-post system from Pyuthan-2. He is lucky to have been nominated under the proportional quota as well.
Khadka and Sharma are examples of several NC leaders vying in the five consecutive elections since 1990. Around five dozen senior NC leaders from 33 constituencies of the mid-western development region have been proposed as candidates for the coming election as well. Most of them have been vying in the polls for the fifth consecutive time.
NC President Sushil Koirala, who has also been contesting every election since 1990, is being proposed as candidate from two constituencies in Banke district.
Former home minister Purna Bahadur Khadka won parliamentary elections thrice and became CA member the last time under the PR quota. This time, he has been proposed as a candidate from Surkhet-1.
Former chairman of parliament´s State Affairs Committee, Hridayaram Thani, contested elections three times and won once. He is now one of the candidates proposed from Surkhet-2.
Surendra Hamal from Rolpa has been contesting elections every time. Hamal, who won the elections except for the last CA poll, is now one of the alternative candidates from Rolpa-1.
Former State Minister Gopalji Jung Shah of Rukum is now proposed as FPTP candidate from Rukum-2.
As the old faces have staked their claims this time as well, fresh leaders and those who haven´t gotten any poll opportunity so far have become disappointed.
Tapta Bahadur Bista, NC party chief in Surkhet district, has not been able to become a candidate so far even after being proposed from the district. But he is hopeful of getting a ticket for FPTP as former minister Shiva Raj Joshi of the same district has shown interest in becoming a lawmaker through the PR quota.
Subhas KC, NC district president of Pyuthan, is for giving a chance to youth leaders. “People are for new leadership this time,” he said. “The party´s top leaders must understand this sentiment.”
Other old faces are Deepak Giri, Gehendra Prasad Giri and Hasta Bahadur Malla of Mugu district.
“As it has been years since local elections were held, many local leaders have not had a chance to prove themselves through the people´s vote,” said NC Surkhet Treasurer Govind Koirala.
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