Thirteen people will vie for the five positions on the National Party Upper House ticket when they front

the party’s governing body in April.

The Central Council, a body of about 90 National Party members, will select the five candidates via a system of preferential voting.

Despite the sudden interest in joining the Upper House as a National, argy bargy has apparently being kept to a minimum.

“We don’t have the factional fights they have in other parties,” the National’s State director Ben Franklin said.

Dubbo councillor Greg Matthews and Forbes’ Ron Penny are two Nationals from the central west who like their chances at a spot on the Legislative Council.

The NSW Coalition’s Upper House ticket runs according to a two-to-one split, meaning five National’s candidates and 10 Liberal Party candidates are chosen to represent the two parties on the one ticket.

In all, 42 MLCs occupy the Upper House serving eight-year terms, with half the house facing elections every four years. Currently the National’s have five MLCs but are hoping that number increases when NSW goes to the polls in 2011.

“There has certainly been terrific interest from a broad range of people across the State ... I’m really excited about it,” Mr Franklin said.

Mr Franklin said the surge in candidates was caused by the “likelihood of the National’s getting into government”.

However, the State Director would not go as far as to speculate on how many spots the National’s would achieve.

“We’re very hopeful of a strong result, obviously it’s in the hands of the electorate, while I’m not going to

make guesses we are working very hard between now and right up until the election,” he said.