KATHMANDU, Nov. 4: The Election Commission (EC) has scrapped candidacy of Nepali Congress leader Govinda Raj Joshi citing the candidate was already convicted by the Special Court and the corruption case against him is still under investigation at the apex court.
A Board meeting of the EC instructed Tanahu District Office to cancel Joshi's candidacy following a complaint was filed against the leader Joshi. NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel had filed a complaint against Joshi on Friday demanding that the corruption accused leader Joshi be barred from contesting the elections.
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EC Spokesperson Navaraj Dhakal said Joshi's candidacy was scrapped in accordance with provision of Election of Members of House of Representative, the election law which bars corruption accused from contesting the elections.
Former Minister Joshi was unhappy with the party leadership after the party's senior leader Poudel was fielded from his election constituency, Tanahu-1. Disagreed with the party's decision Joshi had filed his candidacy as an independent candidate. After Joshi was accused of corruption NC has been fielding Poudel as the party's official candidate in the elections for long.
In July 2012 Special Court had convicted the former minister Joshi for corruption. The court had slapped a fine of Rs 21.6 million on the Joshi and ordered confiscation of properties worth the same amount.
Following Special Court decision former minister Joshi had moved to the Supreme Court in June 2013 against the lower court decision. His case is still pending at the apex court as hearings could not take place into the case although the court fixed several dates for the hearing.
