Youth who slapped Prachanda to contest polls against him

A disgruntled former Maoist cadre, who rose to fame after slapping the party chief Prachanda, has announced his candidacy against the former Nepalese prime minister in the November 19 Constituent Assembly elections.
Padam Kunwar, a 26-year-old chef who had assaulted Prachanda last November, filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate in the former rebel leader's constituency here.
"I have filed my candidacy not to defeat anyone but to win the election," said Kunwar after filing his papers yesterday.
Prachanda has fielded nomination from Kathmandu Constituency No 10, from where he won last assembly elections.
Kunwar got media attention after he had slapped Prachanda during a tea reception organised by the Unified CPN-Maoist on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami in Kathmandu last year.

All major parties, including the centrist Unified Marxist-Leninist, the Nepali Congress and the radical Maoists, have fielded candidates for 240 seats in the polls expected on November 19.