Bishwadeep Lingden, a candidate of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) from Jhapa constituency-5, has joined the Nepali Congress (NC). 

Lingden joined the NC just a day before the candidate nomination. He is a former lawmaker who defeated CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli from Jhapa constituency-7 in the first Constituent Assembly (CA) election. Lingden, who had won the election from the Maoist party’s ticket had briefly joined Mohan Baidhya-led CPN-Maoist before defecting to the SSF-N. Lingden announced his departure from the SSF-N at a press conference held in Birtamod on Wednesday.

Two other SSF-N leaders, Devendra Rai and Suman Sharma Jamarkattel; Sanghiya Limbuwan Party’s Sesehang Khajum and Dambar Loringden; Dalit Mukti Morcha’s Mohan Century; Newa Deya Dabuka’s Naresh Tamrakar and Sanghiya Newa Sang’s Indar Shrestha, among 240 Janajati leaders also joined the NC.