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The Election Commission (EC) has provided election symbols to 18 political parties for the Chitwan-2 by-election slated for April 23. Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party, Mongol National Organization, Rastriya Nagarik Party, Nepali Congress, Rastriya Janamukti Party, Rastriya Janamorcha, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, CPN (Unified Socialist), Nagarik Unmukti Party, Hamro Nepali Party, Puna Jagaran Party Nepal, Maulik Jarokilo Party, Rastriya Mukti Andolan Nepal, Nepali Congress (BP), Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Jaya Janmabhumi Party Nepal were provided with the election symbols. The constituency became vacant after the Supreme Court invalidated Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane’s election to the House of Representatives over citizenship issue.  

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has decided to vote for Ram Chandra Paudel in the presidential election. A meeting of the party held on Thursday made the decision to this effect. The party, however, did not make the decision public due to the election code of conduct. The RSP Chief Whip Santosh Pariyar said that the party has decided to vote for a person who plays a role to strengthen the democracy and to protect the system. The Rastriya Swatantra Party has 19 lawmakers. Nepali Congress senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and CPN-UML Vice-Chairman Subash Nembang are vying for the post of President. The voting for the election is underway at the Parliament building in New Baneshwor. The counting of votes will start soon after the completion of voting.

The government has decided to register the bill formulated to amend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons Act, 2071 (2014) in the House of Representatives today. A Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s office in Singhadurbar made the decision to this effect, the PM’s media expert Manohari Timilsina said. Meanwhile, Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago.  

Justice Bishwamber Prasad Shrestha’s bench will hear the writ petitions filed against CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The Supreme Court administration said that Shrestha’s bench will hear the writs. A preliminary hearing will be conducted today in the writ petitions registered by advocate duo Gyanendra Raj Aran and Kalyan Budhathoki against Dahal for claiming the responsibility of 5, 000 Maoist-insurgence era deaths three years ago. During a program held on January 15, 2020, Dahal had said that out of 17, 000 people killed in the Maoist insurgency, 5,000 were killed by the Maoist and he would take the responsibility for it. The advocate duo filed writ petitions demanding that the court order Dahal's arrest and punish him for taking the responsibility for 5,000 deaths, but the court administration had refused to do so, claiming that the issue was related to transitional justice. Earlier on Friday, a division bench of Justice Ishwor Khatiwada and Hari Prasad Phuyal ordered the Supreme Court administration to take petitions against Dahal. Then rebels had kidnapped and murdered advocate Aran’s father Tilakraj. Similarly, advocate Budhathoki’s father was displaced. The Supreme Court’s decision has rattled Prime Minister Dahal and his party. They are crying foul over what they say is a conspiracy to corner them by bringing up the conflict-era cases, which ought to be dealt by the transitional justice commissions.