Politics is a game of possibility. Nothing can be completely ruled out. Another member of the Koirala clan could take the helm of the Nepali Congress (NC) now that Sushil Koirala is gone. But it seems that with his demise, the Koirala dynasty could lose its hold on the party. The Koirala family has had an almost unbroken hold of the NC since the party’s establishment. Just like Girija Prasad Koirala, Sushil had been planning to hand over the party’s leadership to someone from the Koirala family, but he died just before the general convention (GC) scheduled for March 3-6.  

Party Vice-President Ram Chandra Poudel, a top leader from the establishment faction, has been made the acting president until the GC is held. For the first time in two decades, the party leadership has gone to someone outside the Koirala clan, albeit temporarily. As the convention draws closer, three leaders from the party’s first family—Sujata Koirala, Shekhar Koirala and Shashank Koirala—are waiting in the wings. They could, or would like to, give continuity to the Koirala legacy. None of these leaders has the organisational hold or personality to win the election to become the party president. There are several leaders who are senior to these Koirala leaders and have invested more time and energy in the party. Moreover, this time the Koirala family members are not united. 

The late Sushil Koirala had been planning to secure the post of president and pass the mantle to a Koirala clan member. Sujata Koirala has been publicly saying that she will fight for the presidency, but it is just posturing. Shekhar and Shashank have not made their plans public. Since the NC was established, the party and the Koiralas have always been taken as being complementary to each other. There is a saying in the party that people join the NC because they are inspired by the Koirala family, and the Koiralas and the Congress cannot be separated. 

Party’s history

The Koirala dynasty has always tried to dominate the party. The NC was formed on January 25, 1947 with Tanka Prasad Acharya as president. Since Acharya was in prison serving a life sentence, BP Koirala became the acting president and exercised full executive power in the party. In 1950, Matrika Prasad Koirala became the party president, and in 1952, BP Koirala assumed the post. The sixth national convention held in Birgunj in 1956, which adopted the principles of democratic socialism and decentralisation for social transformation, elected Subarna Shamsher as party president. 

In 1960, BP Koirala again became the party president. BP Koirala also promoted Girija Prasad Koirala along with Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Ganesh Man Singh. In 1976, BP Koirala nominated Bhattarai as the acting party president. After BP’s death in 1982, the NC adopted a collective leadership, and the party was led by the triumvirate of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Ganesh Man Singh and Girija Prasad Koirala. This helped GPK to expand his organisational hold. After the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990, Koirala tightened his grip on the party and challenged Bhattarai and Singh. In 1990, Bhattarai became the party president for a single term, and the Koirala dynasty regained the party’s leadership. The NC’s ninth national convention in 1996 elected Girija Prasad Koirala as the party president. He was able to secure the top post two more times.  

Dissatisfactions galore

The NC veteran leaders Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Ganesh Man Singh left the party during the Koirala clan’s leadership. Bhattarai quit the party expressing dissatisfaction over its decision to go for a republic while Singh felt that he had been unjustly treated by the Koirala family. After 1996, the Koirala family exercised a total monopoly over the party organisation. 

Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba left and formed the Nepali Congress (Democratic) following a dispute with GPK about national political issues. With this, there was complete domination of the Koirala family. The domination continued even after the party’s unification. Members of the Koirala family have always faced criticism for engineering a split in the party and creating factionalism to cement their hold. At the same time, BP Koirala, GP Koirala and Sushil Koirala played a vital role in the democratic movements of 1950, 1990 and 2006. History will remember all the NC leaders as freedom fighters in Nepal’s modern history. 

In 2008, GPK appointed Sushil Koirala as the acting party president. He was elected as the party president in 2010 as a continuation of the Koirala legacy. Sushil Koirala was the party’s general secretary before becoming the president. GPK held the post of party president till his death in 2010. He had been grooming his daughter Sujata Koirala to take over from him, but he was not successful in this endeavour. GPK secured the post of deputy prime minister for Sujata in the CPN-UML-led government in 2009 and was roundly criticised by the party. 

If Sushil was still living, it is very likely that the Koirala dynasty would continue to maintain its hold on the party’s leadership, and he could have chosen a successor from the clan. Now it seems that there will be a contest between Poudel and Deuba for the party presidency. However, it is not clear how the establishment faction will remain intact to support Poudel as the party president. It also remains to be seen whether the party leadership will remain in the establishment camp or pass to the Deuba camp after the convention. 

Bhattarai is with the political desk at the Post