CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli and the party’s senior vice-chair Ishwar Pokharel have filed their candidacies for the post of the party chair as the candidacy nomination begins for over 300 central positions to be elected from the general convention ongoing in Kathmandu.

The process is underway during the closed-door session of the party’s 11th general convention at Bhrikutimandap in Kathmandu.

The party is electing 19 office bearers–one party chair, five vice-chairs, one general secretary, three deputy general secretaries, nine secretaries. Also the convention will elect 301 central committee members.

Oli’s panel has nominated Ram Bahadur Thapa, Bishnu Paudel, Guru Baral, Pradeep Gyawali and Prithvi Subba Gurung as candidates for the five vice-chairs. Shankar Pokhrel has been repeated as general secretary. Raghubir Mahaseth, Lekhraj Bhatta and Bishnu Rimal are candidates for deputy general secretary.

For the nine positions of secretary, the Oli panel has fielded Bhanubhakta Dhakal, Padma Aryal, Chhabilal Bishwakarma, Mahesh Basnet, Khagaraj Adhikari, Rajan Bhattarai, Hikmat Karki, Yamlal Kandel and Sherdhan Rai.

Likewise, the rival panel has fielded Ishwar Pokharel for the post of chair; Arun Nepal, Gokarna Bista, Binda Pandey and Parshuram Meghi Gurung for vice-chair, leaving one post vacant. Surendra Pandey is the candidate for general secretary, and Yogesh Bhattarai for deputy general secretary.

Pokharel camp has so far fielded Binod Dhakal, Gokul Banskota, Karna Thapa, Krishna Gopal Shrestha, Krishna KC, Purushottam Paudel, and Rachana Khadka for the allocated 9 positions of secretary. The panel was finalising the remaining candidates.

Also, some leaders such as Raghuji Pant, Rajendra Gautam, Agni Kharel, and Lalbabu Pandit have filed their candidacies independently after being not included in either of the two panels. Of them, Pant and Gautam have contested for the post of vice-chair and deputy general secretary, respectively, while Kharel and Pandit have contested for the post of secretary.

Voting is scheduled for Tuesday from 12 am to 6 pm, and vote counting will begin immediately after polling. The results, certificate distribution and oath-taking will be held at the convention venue as per the timetable fixed by the election committee, according to a notice issued by Kunsang Lama, secretary of the party’s election commission.