UML Chitwan chapter chair Ram Prasad Neupane has been recommended as the party’s official candidate in Chitwan-2 for the April 23 by-elections.

According to former lawmaker Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, regional and district committees unanimously forwarded Neupane’s name to the central leadership for approval.

Chitwan-2 has become vacant after Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane, who was elected from the constituency last November, lost his lawmaker status after the Supreme Court invalidated his citizenship certificate in January.

Earlier on Thursday, the Nepali Congress decided to field Jeet Narayan Shrestha from the constituency.

Swatantra Party President Lamichhane has been included in the list of the preliminary candidate from the constituency and is the most likely candidate from the party.

Lamichhane had won the last year’s elections defeating his closest rival Umesh Shrestha of the Nepali Congress by a margin of 34,170 votes.

Lamichhane had received 49,261 votes while Shrestha had got 15,091 votes. Krishna Bhakta Pokhrel of the CPN-UML had garnered 14,649 votes.