Kathmandu — Former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Nepal Samajwadi Party, Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, has withdrawn his candidacy from Gorkha Constituency No. 2 in the upcoming House of Representatives elections.
Sources close to Bhattarai said the decision was taken after consultations held on Thursday with senior political leaders. Nepali Communist Party coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, Nepali Congress candidate Prakash Chandra Dawadi, and Rashtriya Swatantra Party Vice President Swarnim Wagle had urged Bhattarai to remain above electoral competition and play a facilitating or ‘guardian’ role in the election.
Following these discussions and considering the evolving political context, Bhattarai decided to step aside from the electoral race. With his withdrawal, political observers say the contest in Gorkha-2 is likely to take a new turn.
