Nepal is likely to get its first female President in less than two weeks.
CPN (UML), which is now leading a collation government, on Monday chose its Vice President Bidya Bhandari as a presidential candidate.
UML's collation partners UCPN (M), RPP-N and MJF-D are expected to back Bhandari's candidacy in a vote scheduled for 27 November in Parliament. If that happens, Bhandari will be Nepal's first female Head of the Nation.
The main opposition NC has also decided to contest the presidential election. But it is yet to pick its presidential candidate and unlikely to win the election. Early this month, NC President Sushil Koirala had lost election for Prime Minister to UML Chair KP Oli.
Bhandari is the widow of the charismatic UML leader Madan Bhandari. After her husband's death in a jeep accident in 1993, she had risen to prominence and is now seen as a confidante of Oli.
Nepal's first President Ram Baran Yadav represents the Madhesi community, which has been on the warpath saying the recently-promulgated constitution perpetuates their under-representation in all state organs.