By Our Reporter
If all goes well, Nepali Congress will hold its 14th general convention in seven months. However, the leaders seem to have divided into two groups—for and against party president Sher Bahadur Deuba—targeting the upcoming convention that will elect new leadership in the old grand party which turned into a tiny party after Deuba became its president in 2016.
Although there is no dispute regarding the presidential candidate from the establishment faction, there is a lack of unity among the leaders of the anti-Deuba group, which is popularly called as Paudel camp, as Ram Chandra Paudel leads the group.
However, general secretary Dr. Sashank Koirala, Praskash Man Singh, Dr. Shekhar Koirala and even Krishna Sitaual, though he leads a separate group, are eying for the post of party president. Although Koirala duo, as well as Sujata Koirala, had publicly announced that only one candidate from the rival faction would contest for the post of party president, Singh and Paudel have not made any comment on the issue. Of course, managing posts for innumerable leaders of the rival faction will be a Herculean task, and which is more than essential to snatch the crown from Deuba. There are Arjun Narasingh KC, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat, Gagan Thapa, Minendra Rijal and Dhan Raj Gurung who have eyed general secretary if not the post of vice president.
If the rival faction stands together filing a single candidate for the key post, it will be very difficult for Deuba to get reelected.
Considering this situation, party president Deuba has started making moves to woo leaders in his favour, and forming departments, which should have been done within two months after the conclusion of the convention, has become a tool to consolidate his position. But his move drew flak from the rival faction citing that appointing in departments after the announcement of the date for the 14th general convention was against the code. They have also filed a complaint in the party election committee against the move.
Leaders of the Paudel camp argued that Deuba was trying to win the vote by appointing in the departments.
Recently, Deuba also expelled a few popular leaders of the rival camp from the party in the name of disciplinary actions almost three years after the general elections, in which they had either filed rebel candidacy or supported the rebel candidates. Govinda Raj Joshi and Puskar Ojha were two senior leaders to face the actions. And Ojha was targeted after Deuba’s spouse lost Kailali election even after spending millions of rupees.
Deuba also brought the influential leader of Rashtriya Prajatnatra Party Sunil Bahadur Thapa, son of late Surya Bahadur Thapa, in the party, and Sunil’s entry in NC has become an added strength for Deuba. Thapa along with 13 RPP leaders was welcomed in the NC by Deuba and other NC leaders on Tuesday.
Now the party has started distributing and renewing active membership targeting the upcoming general elections. Many new entrants will also receive such membership, which will also influence the results of the conventions.
However, leader Krishna Situala be will the crucial factor for the victory or defeat of Deuba. If he files candidacy for the post of president or forges an alliance with Deuba, no one can prevent Deuba from becoming president again, and if he supports the rival faction, Deuba will surely taste defeat. Ram Chandra Paudel lost the election in the 13th general convention because of Sitaula’s candidacy for the post of party president.
People’s Review Print Edition
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