Bhandari to get second term as Nepal President

Kathmandu, March 7 (IANS) Incumbent President Bidhya Devi Bhandari will be re-elected as Nepal's Head of State as the ruling party CPN-UML has decided to back her candidacy for the post.

The election for the post of President will be held on March 13. Bhandari filed her nomination on behalf of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and CPN (Maoist Centre). Nepali Congress's Laxmi Rai also filed candidacy for the top post.

A meeting of the party's standing committee on Tuesday night decided to field Bhandari ahead of another senior leader Jhalanath Khanal as its presidential candidate. Bhandari is considered close to Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

The election for the presidential post will take place on the basis of the electoral college votes. As per calculations, with the Left alliance having majority at local, provincial and federal levels, Bhandari has support of 33,000 electoral college votes. 

Nepali Congress's Rai has backing of 11,000 electoral college votes. Two Madhes-based parties, Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal were likely to vote for Bhandari.

Bhandari was elected to the top post on October 29, 2015, a month after the promulgation of the new Constitution.

The election of the Vice President will take place after the presidential poll.