Valley
Establishment struggles to decide key candidates
Rival factions of the Nepali Congress have expedited internal homework to prepare their respective teams for the 13th general convention that takes place on March 3-6.Rival factions of the Nepali Congress have expedited internal homework to prepare their respective teams for the 13th general convention that takes place on March 3-6.
Though the establishment faction has not officially announced its presidential candidate, many believe that Acting President Ram Chandra Poudel will be
nominated.
According to sources, Poudel has offered the post of Parliamentary Party leader to Krishna Prasad Sitaula and party Vice-president to Prakash Man Singh. Both the leaders, however, also lay claim to the party presidency.
But the trio has agreed to settle the dispute among them through consultations and discussions. Regarding the general secretaries, there are multiple candidates in the establishment camp such as Dilendra Badu, Ram Sharan Mahat, Gagan Thapa, Shashank Koirala and Shekhar Koirala. Shashank is pressing Poudel to ensure at least one seat in the seven-member Office Bearers for the Koirala family.
There is also pressure from the indigenous and Madhesi constituencies to make the team more inclusive in line with the new constitution. The establishment faction is also working to stop Arjun Narsingh KC from joining the Deuba camp. The party establishment hopes to defeat the Deuba faction if it remains one for accommodating key leaders.
The Deuba camp plans to rope in more leaders from the establishment faction. Top leaders on Deuba’s side—Bimalendra Nidhi, Purna Bahadur Khadka, and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki—have conveyed a message to Deuba that they are ready to sacrifice their personal ambitions to ensure his victory.
“There is one view in our camp that Deuba should win the election at any cost and all the leaders are ready to help him,” said Ramesh Rijal.
That is why the Deuba faction is opposing the idea of having more members in the Office Bearers as proposed by the establishment faction. According to Rijal, KC will fight as general secretary from the Deuba camp.