The Nepali Congress has picked its candidates for the National Assembly elections to be held on January 26.

A meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee on Monday finalized its six candidates from six provinces, according to a statement issued by the party.

Earlier on Monday, the ruling coalition had divided seats for the National Assembly among the partners—six for the Congress, five each for the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and CPN (Unified Socialist), two for the Janata Samajbadi Party and one for Rastriya Janamorcha.

According to the party, Gopal Basnet will contest from Province 1, Krishna Prasad Poudel from Bagmati, Kamala Pant Gandaki, Yubraj Sharma from Lumbini, Durga Pun from Karnali and Narayandutta Mishra from Sudurpaschim.

Out of the six candidates, four are from the establishment faction led by party President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, while two are from the Shekhar Koirala faction.

Pant and Mishra are from the Koirala faction, a Nepali Congress leader said. According to the leader, candidates have been selected as per the strengths of factions in the party.

Pant lost the joint general secretary election during the 14th general convention of the party held last month. Mishra was defeated in the election for the party’s provincial chief in Sudurpaschim province with Birbahadur Balayar.

As many as 20 National Assembly members who were elected in June 2018 are going to retire on March 4 after completing their four-year terms.

Eight members from the CPN-UML, three each from the Maoist Centre, CPN (Unified Socialist) and three from the Nepali Congress and one from Janata Samajbadi Party along with one nominated are completing their four-year terms as determined by the lottery in June 2018.

The coalition partners have not decided on the replacement of Ram Narayan Bidari, who is a nominated member to the National Assembly.

Nepal’s National Assembly is 59-member strong. Of them, 56 are elected and three are nominated. The members’ terms are determined by drawing lots—for two years, four years and six years.

Elections have already taken place for the 19 members who completed their two-year terms. After the election to replace 20 members who will retire on March 4, an election to replace the remaining 20 members, who will retire after their six-year terms, will be held after two years.