Even as senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba is touring the country to bolster his bid for party presidency, party President Sushil Koirala and his camp remains split over his candidacy. This has created dissatisfaction inside the establishment camp as leaders have not been able to openly and actively begin its campaign. Koirala’s indecision has been triggered by competing advice he has been receiving from his aides and members of the Koirala clan. Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel, senior party leader and a key figure from the establishment faction, is preparing to fight for party president but has to formally announce his candidacy yet. Poudel wants Koirala to anoint him as the candidate from the establishment faction.

Sashank Koirala and Sujata Koirala want Sushil Koirala to give continuity to party presidency. They believe that Koirala’s victory would pave the way for a de-facto handover of party leadership within the Koirala clan. Leaders such as Formulha Mansur, Dilendra Badu, Mahesh Acharya, and Nara Hari Acharya, among others, also hold similar views

There are other leaders who think the Koirala clan can ensure the control of the party if Poudel is projected as its official candidate.

However, some influential leaders within the Koirala camp, including Krishna Sitaula, Ram Sharan Mahat, Prakash Man Singh and Arjun Narasingh KC, want

to take the reins in their own hands.

Sitaula, Mahat and KC also strongly oppose Koirala’s plan to handover the leadership within the Koirala clan.

But many see the statements by second-rung leaders as merely rhetoric and that they would only seek powerful officer bearers’ position, not the presidency.

Amid mounting pressure, Koirala has told the leaders from his establishment faction to come up with a name of a consensual candidate for the hot seat. However, that appears a distant possibility. That may push back the decision on party presidency to late February.

Central Working Committee member Formulha Mansur, a leader close to Koirala, said the incumbent party president would take decisions only after the completion of NC’s village, districts and areas conventions.

Poudel hopeful Koirala will back his presidential bid

Nepali Congress Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel has said he will announce his candidacy for the party presidency within a couple of days. The senior NC leader said party President Sushil Koirala will support him in the March election.

“My colleagues across the country are advising me to fight for party president to make party lively,” Poudel said on Monday as he received a memorandum of Reporter’s Club.

Claiming that he was running for the top post on the advice of the top leadership, Poudel said: “I am fully optimistic that party President Sushil Koirala will lend me his support in the election.”

He stressed the need to amend party statute to make it federal friendly, saying that Koirala will have to manage all leaders inside the party. “Now, NC should take initiative for changes as soon as possible,” he said.

On the performance of the government, Poudel said its performance was “not satisfactory”.

“We are watching and warning the government. It should correct the mistakes,” Poudel added. “Government failed to resolve the differences with India through diplomatic talks.”