By Our Reporter
The newly elected office bearers, including party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and central committee members of the Nepali Congress, have resumed their office.
However, the ranking of the leaders made public by Deuba has shocked the supporters and well-wishers of the party as Deuba, breaching the tradition, put Shekhar Koirala, who lost the election of party president to Deuba by securing 40 per cent votes was ranked at the 20th position.
Traditionally, the close rival of the party president would be ranked the 2nd position. Ram Chandra Paudel and Deuba himself enjoyed the position in the past. But Deuba’s decision to rank Koirala at the 20th position only showed the prejudiced attitude of Deuba and his men against Koirala, wh is regarded to be one of the few clean leaders in the party.
It is widely believed that Koirala was liked by many NC workers and supporters although technically Deuba got elected in the second round election with suspicious backing by Prakash Man Singh and Bimalendra Nidhi. NC insiders also say that the money power had played a decisive role in the last hours.
Although Koirala was ranked atop among the members, he is behind the sitting and former office-bearers as well as leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula. Even in the earlier committee, Koirala was ranked 35th position although he had secured the highest votes among the elected members.
The low profile given to Koirala could invite a tussle within the party. But Deuba seems to have undermined this, probably because he had over 80 per cent of central committee members in his favour and many of his close aides see Koirala as a big threat to the safety of their future in the party.
According to the party statute, the defeated candidate to the post of the party president will automatically become the central committee member.
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