RSP Candidate Among 16 to Lose Deposits in Ilam-2 By-election

In the recent by-election held on April 27 in Ilam-2, Milan Limbu, a candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), along with 15 other candidates, forfeited their election deposits after failing to secure the minimum required 10 percent of the total valid votes, the Election Commission announced today.

Limbu received a total of 5,050 votes, placing him fourth and below the threshold needed to retain his deposit. The minimum number of votes required to meet the 10 percent mark was 6,847. The candidates who lost their deposits include representatives from 10 different political parties and six independents.

Notable among those who lost their guarantees are Laxmi Gurung from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Jit Bahadur Rai from CPN (Unified Socialist), and Prem Kumar Thamsuhang from the Janamat Party. Other political figures included Shyam Bahadur Darji, Mani Bahadur Limbu, Dhanraj Ranamagar, Jayant Bikram Shah, Ganesh Bahadur Chauhan, and Resham Bahadur Sunar Nepali.

The independent candidates who also forfeited their deposits are Dak Prasad Gautam, Manoj Niraula, Arjun Kumar Shahi, Dipesh Bohora, Yogendra Gurung, and Raj Basyal.

This forfeiture of deposits follows clause 71 of the House of Representatives Act, 2074, which mandates the seizure of deposits for candidates who fail to garner at least 10 percent of the total valid votes cast in the election.