National
Ruling party picks leaders of seven provincial panels
The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has selected its seven provincial committee heads as the party gears up formation of its lower committees.The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has selected its seven provincial committee heads as the party gears up formation of its lower committees.
A meeting of the NCP secretariat on Friday appointed those in charge of the provincial panels, their deputies, chairpersons and secretaries.
The task had been delayed due to the busy schedule of the party’s top leadership, mainly Co-chairmen Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal.
The leadership selection process was also marred by growing factionalism in the party formed after unification between the erstwhile CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre).
According to NCP members, the leaders in charge will be responsible for overall management of the party in the province while the chairperson handles the party’s day-to-day affairs.
The NCP leaders said the top two positions have been divided between leaders from the former UML and Maoist Centre except in Provinces 1 and 7.
“Leadership of the seven provinces includes those in charge, their deputies, chairpersons and secretaries selected unanimously,” said Ishwor Pokhrel, an NCP central secretariat member. He also said the provincial leadership would expedite the task of constituting other lower committees including the party’s 77 district committees.
The party leadership has tried to satisfy major factions within the party while appointing the provincial leadership. Of the seven provincial chiefs, four are close to PM Oli, two are from the Madhav Nepal faction, and one from the former Maoist party.
Bhim Acharya and Asta Laxmi Shakya, who have been given the charge of Provinces 1 and 3, respectively, are known to be close to senior leader Nepal.
When the party selected chief ministers of these provinces, both Acharya and Shakya were two top contenders. However, leaders close to Oli were appointed as chief ministers.
In Province 1, the party has selected Devraj Ghimire as its chairperson, Sabitri Kumar Kafle as the joint in-charge and Suresh Bahadur Rai as the secretary.
Satya Narayan Mandal has got the charge of the party’s Province 2 organisation while Prabhu Sah chairs the committee. Biswonath Sah and Suman Pyakurel have been named joint-in-charge and the secretary, respectively.
Province 1
In-charge Bhim Acharya
Chairperson Devraj Ghimire
Joint-in-charge Sabitri Kumar Kafle
Secretary Suresh Bahadur Rai
Province 2
In-charge Satya Narayan Mandal
Chairperson Prabhu Sah
Joint-in-charge Biswonath Sah
Secretary Suman Pyakurel
Province 3
In-charge Asta Laxmi Shakya
Chairperson Hitman Shakya
Joint-in-charge Narayan Dahal
Secretary Ananda Pokharel
Province 4
In-charge Prithvi Subba Gurung
Chairperson Hitraj Pande
Joint-In-charge Khagaraj Adhikari
Secretary Govinda Nepali
Province 5
In-charge Shankar Pokharel
Chairperson Onsari Gharti
Joint-In-charge Dal Bahadur Rana
Secretary Jag Prasad Sharma
Province 6
In-charge Janardan Sharma
Chairperson Gorakh Bahadur Bogati
Joint-in-charge Yamlal Kandel
Secretary Maya Prasad Sharma
Province 7
In-charge Bhim Rawal
Chairperson Karna Thapa
Joint-in-charge Laxman Dutta Joshi
Secretary Nepa Chaudhary