DHARAN: A total of 26 candidates are contesting in the upcoming March 5 election to the House of Representatives from Sunsari constituency no 1, according to the District Election Office, Sunsari.

Of them, 19 candidates represent various political parties while seven are independent candidates.

Contenders are from both the political parties with legacy such as the Nepali Congress (NC), the CPN (UML) and the Nepali Communist Party, and the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party and new ones like the Rastriya Swatantra Party, and the Shram Sanskriti Party.

Candidates ranging in age from 31 to 68 years are contesting in this constituency where there are 150,393 voters registered.

While 31-year-old Rajkumar Limbu of the Sanghiya Lokatantrik Rastriya Mancha is the youngest candidate, 68-year-old Bhupi Rai of the Rastriya Sajha Party is the oldest one from this constituency.

Similarly, Harkaraj Sampang, who was serving as the Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City and currently leading the Shram Sanskriti Party, is one of the contenders of this constituency.

Surya Bhattarai is running under the banner of the NCP, while Sujendra Tamang from NC and Tikaram Limbu from UML.

Sarin Tamang is representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party and Mahesh Shrestha stands for the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party.

Candidates fielded by other parties comprise Rajendra Gurung of the Mongol National Organization, Raj Kumar Limbu from the Sanghiya Lokatantrik Rastriya Manch and Raj Kumar Rai from the Nepali Janashramdan Sanskriti Party.

Naresh BK is contesting from the Sanyukta Nagarik Party, Dambar Lawati from the Ujjyalo Nepal Party, Shyam Narayan Rajdhami from the CPN (United), Yam Bahadur Limbu from the Nepal Janamukti Party, Raya Bahadur Bista from the Aam Janata Party, Sanjay Rai from the Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal, Nagendra Bahadur Limbu from the Janata Samjwadi Party and Rakshya Kumar Rai from the Miteri Party Nepal.

Independent candidates include Deuman Limbu, Sanjay Kumar Rai, Om Krishna Udas, Shesh Prasad Regmi, Subash Bishwakorma, Ajay Bishwokarma, Chet Bahadur Rai and Jivankala Rai.

There are 41 polling stations and 161 polling centres in this constituency, according to the District Election Office.