MAHENDRANAGAR: Twelve former ministers are in the race of the election to the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5 in Sudurpaschim Province.

Major political parties have fielded the former ministers as the candidates in the province which have 16 constituencies. Twelve candidates of the Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (UML) and Nepali Communist Party (NCP), who already served as ministers in federal and provincial governments, are contending the election.

The NC picked Narayan Prasad Saud as the candidate in Kanchanpur constituency-2. Saud was the federal minister for multiple times. Except Saud, all candidates from the NC in Sudurpaschim are new, said NC Sudurpaschim Province Joint General-Secretary, Chinta Mani Bhatta.

Similarly, former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the NCP, Bhim Bahadur Rawal, is in the race from Achham constituency-1. Similarly, former federal ministers Prem Ale and Bina Magar are the candidates from the same party in Kailali constituency-5 and Kanchanpur constituency-1 respectively.

Trilochan Bhatta, also the former Chief Minister of Sudurpaschim Province government, filed his candidacy from Doti, while former minister Prakash Bahadur Shah from Bajura and former minister in province Man Bahadur Rai from Kanchanpur constituency-3.

Likewise, candidate of the UML from Darchila, Ganesh Singh Thagunna, candidate from Baitadi, Damodar Bhandari, are also the former federal ministers.

Former Minister and UML’s Deputy General-Secretary Lekh Raj Bhatta, former federal minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhary are competing from Kailali constituency-4 and Kailali constituency-3 respectively.

Jhapat Bahadur Bohara, who has filed his candidacy from Achham constituency-1, is former minister in Sudurpaschim Province.

It is estimated that there would be a tough competition among the candidates of the NC, UML, NCP and Rastriya Swatantra Party in Sudurpaschim Province.

The Province has total 1.71 million voters and 206 candidates for 16 constituencies, according to the Province Election Office, Dhangadhi.