KATHMANDU, Nov 17: Eight individuals who are owners of private schools are contesting the upcoming elections scheduled for November 26 and December 7.
These private school operators are now busy in electioneering activities and have handed over the management of their schools to others. Among the eight candidates, seven belong to the Private and Boarding Schools Organization Nepal (PABSON) while one belongs to the National Private and Boarding Schools Association Nepal (NPABSAN).
Bijaya Sambahamphe, president of PABSON, is contesting provincial assembly elections in Tehrathum from the Nepali Congress. “I have spent 28 years in education. I have become an election candidate in order to use my knowledge for the development of society and the education sector,” he said. Sambahamphe runs Loyalty Academy at Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu and is also a member of the High Level Education Commission formed by the Ministry of Education.
Teju Lal Chaudhari, former president of PABSON, is parliamentlary candidate of the Nepali Congress for Saptari-4 . Chaudhari claimed that he is contesting the elections to uplift the country economically and socially. Chaudhari owns Nightingale School at Kupondole, Lalitpur and is currently state minister for sports. He was elected to parliament last time also from Saptari district under first-past-the-post.
Eight candidates are private school owners
Similarly, Tank Bahadur Bhattarai, central treasurer of PABSON, is contesting for parliament on a Naya Shakti Party ticket from Terhathum. Bhattarai is owner of Annapurna Boarding School at Bagdole, Lalitpur.
Binod Devkota, district representative of PABSON Lalitpur, is contesting for parliament from constituency -1 in his home district of Palpa. Independent candidate Devkota is the owner of Laligunras School at Badehaun, Lalitpur. “I think it is better to work as a lawmaker rather than advise others as a school principal,” he said. “I am against threatening voters and buying votes.”
Ratna Maharjan, central member of PABSON, is contesting for parliament from Lalitpur 2 on a Naya Shakti ticket. Maharjan is owner of Kopila School at Sanagaun, Lalitpur.
Former parliamentarian Umesh Shrestha, who is founder of Little Angels School in Lalitpur, is a proportional representation candidate from Nepali Congress. “I have served four decades in the education sector. I want to promote education that is job-oriented and skill-oriented,” Shrestha said. He was member of the Women Children and Social Welfare Committee in the last parliament.
Gita Rana, former president of NPABSAN, is contesting for parliament as an independent from Kailali-4. She became a member of parliament last time from the proportional representation quota of the MPRF Democratic party.
Rana, the owner of Galaxy Public School in Kathmandu, said that she has worked for four decades in education. “I am contesting the election as I am an experienced person,” she said.
Former member of PABSON Shanti Chaudhari has been named a proportional representation candidate from Maoist Center for the provincial assembly of Province 7.
