Yadav declared winner as court hears RSP candidacy cancellation

The Election Commission (EC) on Monday declared Nepali Communist Party (NCP) candidate Matrika Prasad Yadav elected to the House of Representatives from Dhanusha-1, days after controversy erupted over the cancellation of a rival RSP candidate’s nomination.

According to the EC, Yadav secured 10,428 votes in the March 5 election. Nepali Congress candidate Ram Paltan Sah finished second with 9,485 votes, while CPN-UML candidate Ram Chandra Mandal received 9,220 votes.

Meanwhile, the EC has not made public the number of votes the RSP election symbol received in the constituency, but media reports say that the symbol received the highest votes.

The result was announced after the EC directed the Office of the Returning Officer to make the vote count public following a meeting of the Commission earlier in the day.

The constituency had drawn national attention after the EC scrapped the candidacy of RSP candidate Kishori Sah shortly before polling day, stating that he was listed on a financial blacklist.

According to Section 16 (H) of the House of Representatives Directives, 2082, an individual blacklisted under existing laws is ineligible to contest the election.

RSP candidate Sah has challenged the decision at the Supreme Court.

The court on Monday held a preliminary hearing on the petition summoning both parties for further discussion on March 13.

The EC had annulled Sah’s candidacy two days before the polling day, citing his blacklisted status. The decision sparked debate over the timing of the cancellation and the due diligence of the EC. Despite the ongoing legal challenge, the EC proceeded with declaring the final result in the constituency.