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

He joined the NC just a day before the deadline for the registration of nomination. Lingden is a former lawmaker.

He had defeated CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli from Jhapa constituency-7 in the first Constituent Assembly (CA) election. He had mustered 16,099 votes against Oli’s 14,959 votes.

Lingden, who had won the election from then Maoist party, later joined Mohan Baidhya-led CPN-Maoist and then SSFN and now NC.

At a press conference in Birtamod, Jhapa on Wednesday, Lingden along with SSFN another central member and Ilam district chairman Devendra Rai, Sanghiya Limbuwan Party former General Secretary Sesehang Khajum, party’s Ilam district chairman Dambar Loringden, SSFN Province Committee Secretary Suman Sharma Jamarkattel, Dalit Mukti Morcha Chairman Mohan Century, Newa Deya Dabuka central Chairman Naresh Tamrakar and Sanghiya Newa Sang Province Chief Indar Shrestha, among other 240 Janajati leaders, announced their decision to join NC.

Lingden said that he joined the NC after SSFN Chairman Upendra Yadav tried to do Madhes-centric politics.