Government Announces National Assembly Elections on January 25, 2024

In a significant decision, the government has officially declared that the National Assembly elections will take place on January 25, 2024. The announcement was made by Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Rekha Sharma, following deliberations during the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday.

Minister Rekha Sharma informed the media that the decision to conduct elections on January 25, 2024, pertains to filling the vacant positions in the National Assembly. The election date aligns with the proposal put forth by the Election Commission to the government.

The impending National Assembly elections are crucial as the term of office for 20 Members of Parliament, including the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ganesh Timilsina, is set to expire on March 3, 2024. These 20 members were elected in 2074 BS and were granted a 6-year term through the round system.

Notable figures whose terms are concluding include Nepali Congress Chief Whip Anita Devkota, Parliamentary Party Leader Rameshjung RayamaJhi, Sustainable Development and Good Governance Committee Chairman Prakash Panth, and Jitendra Narayan Dev.

Similarly, the term endings involve CPN UML chief whips Bhairav Sundar Shrestha, Indu Kadaria, Khimlal Bhattarai, Deepa Gurung, National Concern and Coordination Committee Chairperson Dilkumari Rawal Thapa (Parvati), Narpati Luwar, Ramchandra Rai, and presidential nominee Vimala Rai Poudyal.

The list of outgoing members also includes Bina Pokharel, Mahesh Kumar Mahara, and Hariram Choudhary of Maoist, Nanda Chapai, and Sing Bahadur Bishwakarma of United Socialist Party, Pramilakumari Yadav, and Minister of State for Education of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), and independent MP Khimlal Devkota.

As per constitutional provisions, National Assembly elections must be completed 35 days before the term’s end, emphasizing the urgency and importance of the upcoming electoral process. The elections will play a pivotal role in shaping the future composition of the National Assembly.