Nepali Congress leader Man Bahadur Limbu on Thursday filed his candidacy for the provincial assembly polls from Morang-3 (1).

Limbu registered his candidature as per the revised election timetable published by the Election Commission following the death of a candidate contesting the November 20 polls from the party.

NC fielded Limbu after Province 1 Minister for Forest, Environment and Soil Conservation Shekhar Chandra Thapa, who was contesting the polls, died on Wednesday.

Thapa was undergoing treatment for dengue and pneumonia infection at Biratnagar-based Nobel Teaching Hospital. He died at 10 am, according to Narayan Dahal, director at the hospital.

Thapa was admitted to the hospital on October 10, a day after he filed his nomination for the upcoming provincial assembly elections. After three days, he was brought to the Kathmandu-based HAMS Hospital for further treatment. He was kept in the Intensive Care Unit for 17 days at HAMS Hospital.

Bhojraj Basnet, the NC district committee member, said the party picked Limbu as the new candidate as he is a well-known face in the area. Limbu had earlier worked as the Morang president of a student wing of the party.

Limbu will be competing against UML candidate Dilip Kumar Rai, former mayor of Patharishanishchare Municipality and Tirtha Bahadur Gurung of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).