The Nepali Congress (NC) is likely to get 32 seats under proportional representation (PR) category in the House of Representatives (HoR) as the final results of general elections are set to be published by the Election Commission.
So far, the NC has won 57 first-past-the-post (FPTP) seats in the HoR.
Adding the 57 FPTP seats and 32 potential PR seats, the NC is likely to have a total of 89 seats in the 275-member HoR.
Moreover, if taken into account NC's 10 seats in the National Assembly, the NC is poised to have 99 lawmakers in the Federal Parliament.
In this context, it is mandatory for the NC to elect 29 women lawmakers under PR category to meet the constitutional provision of 33 percent women's participation in the Federal Parliament.
There is a constitutional provision that every party has to ensure 33 percent participation of women in the parliament. Parties have to fulfil this provision combining their lawmakers both in the National Assembly and the HoR.
The NC has 10 lawmakers in the National Assembly. Of them, three are women lawmakers. In the recently held election, the NC has won 57 FPTP seats, of which only one seat was won by a female candidate (Sita Gurung).
To ensure 33 percent women lawmakers' participation in the Federal Parliament, the NC, which looks poised to win 99 seats, has to elect 29 women lawmakers, considering one (Sita Gurung) is already elected through FPTP category and the party has three women lawmakers in the National Assembly.
There is high possibility of NC's PR candidates -- Saraswati Bajimaya, Leela Devi Bokhim, Sita Kumari Rana, Sushila Thing, Sapana Rajbhandari, Maya Rai and Kusum Thapa Magar – being elected under Adivasi-Janajati (indigenous) cluster.
Similarly, Ambika Basnet, Sarita Prasai, Arzu Rana Deuba, Ishwori Neupane, Pratima Gautam, Manju Khand, Rama Koirala Poudel, Kantika Sejuwal and Maina Rawal Karki have high chances of being elected as NC lawmakers in the Khas-Arya cluster.
Likewise, Kalpana Chaudhary and Bina Kumari Thaneth are likely to be elected as PR lawmakers under Tharu cluster and Shanti BK, Sita Mijar, Asha BK and Bishnu Maya Pariyar under Dalit cluster.
More, the NC will have to elect Nagina Yadav, Mukta Kumari Yadav, Chanda Chaudhary, Sangita Mandal and Ninu Kumari Mandal under Madheshi cluster and Javeda Khatun Jaga under Muslim cluster to ensure 33 percent women participation of NC lawmakers in Federal Parliament.
After the NC elects 29 women lawmakers through the potential 32 PR seats, the remaining three seats will go the party's male PR candidates.
Talking about male NC candidates, Spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat figures on the top of the closed PR list submitted under Khas-Arya cluster. Similarly, former NC vice president Gopal Man Shrestha is placed at top of the closed list under Adivasi-Janajati (indigenous) cluster. Likewise, former NC vice president Bimalendra Nidhi is ahead of others in the closed list under Madhesi cluster and incumbent joint general secretary Jeevan Pariyar under Dalit cluster.
Of these four NC male leaders, one is sure not to be elected through PR category.
According to the existing constitutional provisions, the representation of Adivasi-Janajati (indigenous) in the HoR should be 28.70 percent, Khas-Arya 31.20 percent, Tharu 6.60 percent, Dalits 13.80 percent, Madhesi 15.30 percent and Muslims 4.40 percent.
According to a source at NC Central Office in Sanepa, since the percentage of Khas-Arya and Adivasi-Janajati required to be represented in the HoR is higher, Spokesperson Mahat and former vice president Shrestha have greater chances of being elected under PR category.
The source claimed that in the remaining one seat, in view of the percentage of representation, Nidhi is more likely to become PR lawmaker from the NC.
