Nepali Congress has picked the party’s senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel as its presidential candidate.

A meeting of the party’s central work execution committee held on Saturday morning took the decision unanimously, said Dhan Raj Gurung, the party’s vice president, after the meeting.

The party’s decision came a day after eight political parties including the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) decided to support Congress candidate in the election of President scheduled for March 9.

The parties had taken the decision during a meeting held at the prime minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Friday evening.

The Congress candidate will be supported by four ruling parties—the CPN (Maoist Centre), the Janata Samajbadi Party, the Janamat Party and the Nagarik Unmukti Party, while the three parties in the opposition— the CPN (Unified Socialist), Loktantrik Samajbadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha—will also support the party for its presidential bid.

The Election Commission has slated the nomination of the candidates for the post for Saturday.

Paudel is a former speaker and has been elected to the House of Representatives multiple times from his hometown, Tanahun.