JHAPA: Balendra Shah, a senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), officially registered his candidacy from Jhapa-5 on Tuesday.

Accompanied by a massive crowd of supporters, Shah filed his nomination at the Office of the Election Officer located in Damak Municipality-8.

By entering the race in this constituency, Shah has chosen to compete directly against CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli for the upcoming election scheduled for March 5.

This high-profile matchup in Jhapa is expected to be one of the most closely watched contests in the national polls.