KATHMANDU: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel has clarified that he has not made any decision about contesting in the upcoming election that is being held on March 5, 2026.

Saying that running for election from the Rastriya Swatantra Party is all over the news, he clarified that he has not yet decided on the matter.

Speaking at a program organized by the Bhaktapur branch of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) on Wednesday, Minister Kharel said that he and the current government are fully focused on the elections.

He dismissed media rumors about discussing with political parties in line with running for election.

He said, “I want to make clear that I have not yet decided on whether or not to run in the election. I do not have an affiliation with any party nor have I entered into any party so far, nor have any meeting, talk, or shared any positive or negative intention regarding it. My entire focus right now is on holding elections under the leadership of the interim government, led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki. I have not even joined any party till today. But the news is coming in a slightly different way. I have no objection to that. But, I am conveying the right news through this platform, that is, I have not decided whether to contest in the election or not.”

Minister Kharel also urged the media to be sensitive and only report accurate news, as the country is busy preparing for the upcoming election.