BHISMARAJ OJHA, KATHMANDU, Oct 23: Dolaka, a part of Province No. 3, at the top in terms of the registration of candidacies (first-past-the-post system) for the first phase of elections to the House of Representatives and State Assemblies scheduled for coming November 26.

The lowest candidacy is from Manang, the district beyond the Himalayas, which lies in Province No. 4.

The Election Commission had fixed October 22 as the date for filing the candidacies for the nearing twin elections under the first- past-the-post-system.

In the first phase, the House of Representatives election is taking place in 37 electoral constituencies and the State Assemblies election is being held in 74 constituencies of 32 districts, out of 77.

According to the EC, 42 candidates have submitted their papers from Dolakha that is sending one member to the center (House of Representatives) and two to the State Assembly. Of them, 16 are towards the House of Representatives while candidacies for remaining 24 are for the State Assembly.

Likewise, in Manang that has been allocated one constituency for the federal parliament elections and two for the State Assembly, two have filed their nominations for the center and five for the State Assembly.

Dolakha is followed by Ramechhap in terms of the number of candidates aspiring to compete for the elections. For one seat in the House of Representatives, 14 candidacies have been registered while 22 have filed nominations for two seats in the State Assembly.

Mustang, the neighboring district of Manang, has witnessed the registration of lowest candidacies after Manang. Two have filed candidacies for one seat in the House of Representatives and six for the State Assembly that has two electoral constituencies.

According to the Election Commission, altogether 807 people have filed their candidacy for the first phase of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies elections to be held on November 26. The first phase of the twin elections is taking place in 32 districts in all seven provinces.

Of the total 807 persons filing candidacies, 323 have registered their candidacy for the House of Representatives election and 484 for the State Assembly elections.

The Election Commission has fixed the time from 10 am to 5 pm today to file complaints against the candidates. The complaints would be investigated upon and the list of candidates published on October 24. Similarly, the EC will allocate election symbols to the candidates after the conclusion of withdrawing their names by the candidates, if they wish to do so, on October 25.

The first phase of the House of Representatives and State Assemblies election is taking place in 32 mountainous and high hill districts on November 26. Likewise, the second phase election would take place in 45 districts of the Tarai-Madhes and hilly region on December 7.

The date for registering the nominations of candidacy for the second phase election is on November 2.

Election will take place for the 275-member House of Representatives which includes 165 members towards the first-past-the-post and 110 members towards the proportional representation system as per the Constitution of Nepal. Similarly, the election will also be held for the combined 550-member State Assemblies including 330 members under the first-past–the-post and 220 under the PR system.

Three million 228 thousand 879 voters will exercise their franchise in the first phase elections on November 26.