The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) has finalized its candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections in most provinces, as preparations for an electoral alliance between the UML and the Nepali Congress move forward.
According to party sources, the UML has completed candidate selection across provinces. In Koshi Province, the party has been allotted a women’s seat and is set to nominate Roshani Meche.
Prem Dangal will contest from Bagmati Province, Samjhana Devkota from Gandaki, Ram Kumari Jhakri from Lumbini, Meena Rakhal from Karnali, and Leela Bhandari from Sudurpaschim. UML Secretary Mahesh Basnet said the party has yet to finalize its candidate for Madhesh Province, adding that internal consultations are still ongoing.
Alliance Talks Stall as Maoist Centre Opts Out
Earlier, negotiations were held among the Nepali Congress, UML, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), and the Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal to explore a broader electoral alliance for the National Assembly. However, leaders involved in the discussions said the talks failed to produce a final agreement.
According to Govinda Acharya, personal secretary to Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, consensus has not been reached. He said the Maoist Centre had proposed contesting the House of Representatives independently while forming alliances in the National Assembly based on vote weightage, but the proposal did not gain support.
“As a result, we are preparing to field our own candidates. Names recommended from the lower levels will be finalized by the party,” Acharya said.
With the Maoist Centre stepping away from the talks, the possibility of an alliance limited to the Nepali Congress and UML has strengthened. In such a scenario, the Congress is expected to secure 10 seats, while the UML would receive 8 seats in the National Assembly. UML leaders have also indicated the party could secure two seats in Koshi Province.
Background of UML Candidates
Roshani Meche, the UML nominee from Koshi Province, comes from a marginalized indigenous community. She previously served in the secretariat of UML chair KP Sharma Oli during his tenure as prime minister.
Prem Dangal, the Bagmati Province candidate, entered politics through the civil servants’ movement. He lost his government job in 1991 due to his involvement in the movement and has remained active in UML politics since then.
He has held leadership roles within the UML-affiliated Farmers’ Federation, including serving as its chair, and has worked with institutions such as the Youth Self-Employment Fund and the Farmers’ Commission.
Samjhana Devkota, the candidate from Gandaki Province, has previously served as the party’s provincial secretary and later as secretary of the central Organization Department. She was defeated in the race for deputy mayor of Gorkha in the most recent local elections.
From Lumbini Province, Ram Kumari Jhakri returned to the UML after opting not to merge into the Maoist Centre during the party unification process involving the CPN (Unified Socialist). She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and later won a seat on the UML Central Committee with a strong popular vote at the party’s general convention.
Meena Rakhal, the Karnali Province candidate, served as a member of the Karnali Provincial Assembly in 2017 and is currently a central committee member of the UML. The UML candidate from Sudurpaschim, Leela Bhandari, comes from a former Maoist background and has since remained active in UML politics.
