KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has removed the names of 76 candidates from the closed list submitted under the Proportional Representation (PR) system for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.

While reviewing the lists submitted by political parties, the Commission took the decision based on complaints filed at the Office of the Election Officer, legal provisions on candidate eligibility and disqualification, past Commission decisions, and information provided by the parties, according to spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai.

Among those removed were one candidate each from the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML), and three from the Nepal Communist Party. The disqualified candidates include 21 individuals listed by the Credit Information Bureau, 25 whose names also appear on Provincial Assembly PR lists, 10 who failed to pay Election Commission fines, at least four under the age of 25, one not listed as a voter, and two whose voter registration is not from backward regions.

Additionally, one name was removed for failing to meet the mandatory female candidate requirement, 10 at the request of political parties, and two others for various reasons.