The Nepali Congress has decided to field Krishnaman Dangol as its candidate for the mayoral by-election in Kirtipur Municipality, scheduled for December 1.

Raju Nepal, chief secretary of the Office of Bagmati Province Committee of the Congress, confirmed the nomination.

Dangol is the president of the Kirtipur Municipality Committee of the Nepali Congress and served as the president of the Nepal Student Union, the party’s student wing, at Lalitkala Campus.

The CPN-UML has fielded its central committee member Surendra Manandhar, while the CPN (Maoist Centre) has put forward Shivsharan Maharjan as its candidate.

The by-election is being held following the death of Rajkumar Nakarmi, the mayor who was elected from the Congress.

As the Election Commission has fixed November 17 for filing the candidacy, parties are busy selecting their candidates for the 44 vacant seats ranging from the chief of the district coordination committees to ward chairpersons in various parts of the country.

The voters from different local units will vote to elect two chiefs of the district coordination committees, chairpersons of two rural municipalities, four vice-chairs, one mayor, one deputy mayor and chairs of 34 wards. Votes will also be cast to elect chiefs of the district coordination committees in Okhaldhunga and Kailali, the mayor of Kirtipur Municipality in Kathmandu, and the deputy mayor of Nalagad Municipality in Jajarkot.

Similarly, the elections will be held to elect chairpersons of Gramthan Rural Municipality in Morang and Mahabu Rural Municipality in Dailekh, and the vice-chairs of Gaurishankar Rural Municipality in Dolakha, Sarkegad Rural Municipality in Humla and Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality in Bajura.

Additionally, elections will take place to elect ward chair positions in various local units including in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and Kirtipur Municipality.