Kathmandu: As the Election Commission made public the final count under the proportional representation category, the new structure of the lower house–the House of Representatives–is clear.
The Nepali Congress has become the biggest party, bagging a total of 89 seats–57 through first-past-the-post and 32 through PR category. The CPN-UML is now the second biggest party in the parliament with a strength of 78 seats–44 through FPTP and 34 through PR. The CPN (Maoist Center) is third bagging 32 seats–18 through FPTP and 14 through PR.
Seven political parties have been able to get the status of national party by exceeding the threshold–by securing at least three percent of total valid votes cast.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party, formed just a few months before the election, bagged 20 seats–seven through FPTP and 13 through PR category. It has become the fourth party in parliament.
The parties which have secured ‘national party’ status are Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Janta Samajwadi Party, and Janamat Party.
The four parties in the government had formed an electoral alliance of five parties for the elections and they have divided electoral seats among themselves based on their respective strengths.
Nepali Congress kept 90 seats, CPN (Maoist Centre) 45, CPN (Unified Socialist) 20, and Rastriya Janamorcha two. Likewise, Loktantrik Samajbadi Party contested the polls for eight seats as per the understanding among the ruling party alliance.
Likewise, the CPN (UML) had also formed an alliance with the Janata Samajbadi Party in select constituencies. The CPN-UML supported JSPN in 17 constituencies and 42 provincial constituencies. In return, the Madhes-based party supported the UML in 35 federal seats and 70 provincial constituencies.
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