The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) has picked five candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections scheduled for January 26.

On Monday, the party had entrusted its newly elected chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal with the task of picking the candidates.

According to Dahal’s chief personal secretary Ramesh Malla, the party chairman has selected Urmila Aryal from Province 2 (woman), Suresh Ale Magar from Gandaki (others category) and Bharat Sunar (Dalit category), Nar Bahadur Bista from Karnali Province (differently-able category) and Jagat Parki (Dalit category) from Sudurpaschim Province.

As many as 20 National Assembly members, including one nominated, are going to complete their four-year term on March 4.

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 the Rastriya Janamorcha.

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 ruling coalition of the five parties has decided to contest the National Assembly polls jointly.

The eight seats that are going to be vacant from the UML have been divided for the Congress (3), two each for the Maoist Centre and CPN (Unified Socialist) and one for Rastriya Janamorcha.

The Congress, CPN (Unified Socialist) and the UML decided their candidates on Monday.

The Election Commission has set the deadline for filing nominations for Tuesday.