With many party leaders showing interest in contesting for the President, the main opposition Nepali Congress will decision on a candidate after Dashain following discussions with the ruling parties.

The party will file its own candidate for the President, said party spokesperson Dilendra Prasad Badu, but “the decision will be taken only after Dashain”.

Parliament is set to hold elections for new President and Vice President soon after the Dashain. As per the power-sharing deal between the ruling CPN-UML and UCPN(Maoist), the post of President has been allocated to the UML.

“As of now, the party will file its own candidate rather than supporting any other,” said Badu, adding that as the largest parliamentary party, NC will have the natural claim over the post.

Party leaders say that several faces have expressed desire to contest the elections. In a recent meeting with his loyalist, NC President and former prime minister Sushil Koirala has expressed his desire to become the President.

But Koirala’s rival camp in the party, Sher Bahadur Deuba has yet to decide on the Presidential election.

In a bid to ensure a victory for its own candidate in the first stage, the NC has already held some rounds of discussion with the UCPN (Maoist). The UML is pushing its candidate for the post.

Koirala had lost to incumbent Prime Minister KP Oli during the recent PM election. On the other hand, incumbent President Ram Baran Yadav is also said to have been lobbying inside the NC to extend his tenure. But chances of his continuation as President is slim, say NC leaders.

Former Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat recently twitted that the NC will have its own candidate for the President. “Don’t believe on rumour, we will have our own candidate,” said Mahat.

Other NC leaders, including KB Gurung, Man Bahadur Bishwokarma and Padam Narayan Chaudhary, have also expressed their desire to contest the election. Gurung is a leading Janajati leader inside the party, while Bishowkarma champions the cause for Dalits in the party. Similarly, Chaudary belong to the Tarai-Madhes constituencies and a leading figure in the party from Tharu community from eastern Nepal.

Some of our leaders are interested to lend support to a candidate from outside the party like Mahantha Thakur, said NC leader and Central Working Committee member Bal Krishna Khand.

Some leaders belonging to Tarai-Madhesh constituencies have openly supported Thakur to address the larger Madhesi constituencies and to end the current dispute.

According to Khand, this group is confident of securing votes from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the UCPN (Maoist) and the Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantirk for Thakur.