The Nepali Congress (NC) on Sunday withdrew the candidacy of Bajranga Nepali in Mahottari-3 in Province 2 to support Mahantha Thakur, coordinator of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N).

The move is seen as NC’s bid to consolidate its “alliance” with the Madhes-based parties as part of its bid to counter the left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre).

The federal and provincial elections in all eight districts, which have a total of 32 constituencies, of Province 2 will be held in the second phase on December 7.

The left alliance has fielded Bijay Kumar Chaudhary of the UML as its common candidate in Mahottari-3.

The NC’s earlier efforts to contest elections in Province 2 jointly with the RJP-N and 

the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal had failed to materialise. 

The two Madhes-based parties had then reached an understanding as per which the SSF-N has fielded 17 candidates and the RJP-N 15, following which the NC fielded Nepali. 

In Dhanusha-3, the RJP-N’s Rajendra Mahato is pitted against senior Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

With the NC’s decision to withdraw Nepali’s candidacy, Mahottari-3 is set to see a two-way fight between Thakur and Chaudhary. 

Nepali said that he decided to withdraw his candidacy as per the instructions from the central leadership. “I am not happy, but I decided to withdraw my candidacy respecting the decision of the central leadership,” said Nepali. 

Nidhi had been making a pitch for throwing the party’s weight behind Thakur in Mahottari-3, a Congress leader told the Post. To ensure Thakur’s presence in Parliament, Nidhi had spoken with party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel on Sunday morning, following which a decision to withdraw Nepali’s candidacy was taken, the leader said.

The party has instructed its Mahottari district President Dinesh Yadav and local NC leaders to solicit votes for Thakur. 

Some district leaders are said to be unhappy with the top leaders’ decision to withdraw Nepali’s candidacy.

NC district president Mahendra Kumar Raya said the sudden and unilateral decision of the central leadership can have a negative impact on the people and the party organisation in the district.