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Eighteen female candidates including two independents are in the electoral fray from Sudurpashchim Province in the upcoming elections to the House of Representatives.

There are 16 House of Representatives electoral constituencies in the nine districts of this province. 

Although women's candidacy is low in the seven hilly districts of the province, there is significant participation of women candidates in Kailali and Kanchanpur among the Tarai districts.

According to Dilip Bhat, spokesperson of the Provincial Election Office, the highest number of female candidates is in Kailali where 11 female candidates are contesting, followed by Kanchanpur, and one woman in Doti is preparing for the upcoming elections.

Out of a total of 210 candidates in Sudurpaschim Province, one person's candidacy has been cancelled, and he mentioned that three people have withdrawn their candidacy.

Among the female candidates in Kanchanpur constituency-1, Bina Magar from the Nepali Communist Party, Sita BK from the Aam Janata Party, and Manjudevi Sunar and Rupadevi Bista as independents have filed their candidacy, spokesperson Bhat added.

Similarly, Premwati Rana from Nagarik Unmukti Party Nepal in Kanchanpur Constituency- 2 and Lakshmi Kumari Bista (Bhatta) from the Janata Party in Constituency-3 are in the electoral race. 

Likewise, Rupakumari Chaudhary from the Janata Party, Komal Gyawali from the Rastriya Swatantra Party and Sunita Bhandari from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party are contesting the election in Kailali Constituency-1.

In constituency-2, Samjhana Bista Thapa of Miteri Party Nepal and Laxmi Pun Magar of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party have filed their candidacy. In Kailali constituency-3, Sushila Thapa Magar of Miteri Party Nepal and Junu Mahtara Shahi of Nepal Workers and Peasants Party are busy campaigning as candidates.

In the Kailali Electoral Constituency-4, Amrita Bhul of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, in Constituency-5, Radhika Kumari Karki from the Miteri Party Nepal, Shobhamani Joshi from the National People's Front and Trishna Punmagar from the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party are contesting.

There is only one female candidate in Doti, one of the seven hill districts of the Sudurpaschim Province. Saraswati Kumari Pal (Malla) of the Miteri Party Nepal has filed her candidacy from here.

The Provincial Election Office has stated that there are a total of 1,716,660 voters in Sudurpaschim Province.

The voting has officially started to fill the vacant positions in the National Assembly. 

Seventeen seats have remained unoccupied since March 4, 2026. 

According to the Election Commission (EC), voting began at 9 am. 

EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai announced that the voting will take place until 3 pm today. 

Out of the 18 vacant seats, one in Koshi Province for the Khas Arya category was filled uncontested. 

Today’s voting is focused on the remaining 17 seats. Sunil Bahadur Thapa from the Nepali Congress was elected uncontested for the Khas Arya seat in Koshi Province. 

Voting for the other 17 positions is taking place at designated polling locations and centers in the capitals of all seven provinces. 

Bhattarai stated that for the National Assembly member election, eligible voters include provincial assembly members, mayors, deputy mayors, as well as chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities. 

The voting weight for provincial assembly members is 53, while local level chiefs and deputy chiefs carry a weight of 19. 

These voters have been actively casting their votes at the polling stations.

In preparation for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5, two temporary polling centers have been set up in Darchula. 

The District Election Office has announced that these centers will be located at the district headquarters in Khalanga, specifically for voters from Chhangru of Byas Rural Municipality-1 and Tinkar village. 

Chief Election Officer Bhuvan Giri noted that due to the area's geographical isolation and seasonal challenges, voters from Chhangru and Tinkar are currently residing in Khalanga. 

To facilitate their voting process, a polling station has been established in Khalanga. 

Giri explained that a temporary polling center has been arranged at Kailashpati Basic School for Chhangru voters, while Tinkar voters will vote at Moti Mahila Sangh Basic School. 

The Election Office has provided details indicating that there are 375 registered voters at Kailashpati Basic School and 244 at Moti Mahila Sangh Basic School.

In the previous 2079 BS election, Chhangru had 383 registered voters, and Tinkar had 234. 

Chief Election Officer Giri confirmed that local elections had also been successfully conducted in these areas before.

The Election Commission (EC) has released the personal information of candidates who have filed their nominations for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. 

This disclosure is in line with the requirement to make public the personal details of those who have filed their candidacy for the elections. 

Under the first-past-the-post electoral system, the commission has published the personal information provided with the nomination papers of candidates whose nominations were accepted by the deadline, as stipulated in Section 22 (1) of the House of Representatives Election Directive, 2082 BS. 

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai stated that the commission has disclosed the details of all candidates in compliance with legal requirements, emphasizing the importance of transparency, fairness, and reliability in the election process. 

The information is available on the commission's website, making it easier for voters, stakeholders, media, and the general public to access essential information about the candidates. 

In the first-past-the-post electoral system, a total of 3,486 candidacies have been registered across 165 constituencies nationwide. 

Among these, 3,089 candidates are male, 396 are female, and one candidate identifies as belonging to another category.