With two back-to-back victories, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has set his eyes on nominating the remaining office bearers and giving a full shape to the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC).

Deuba will have to nominate three members to the Office Bearers—vice-president, general secretary and joint general secretary—and 11 CWC members, as provided by the party statute.

There is a long list of aspirants who want to be nominated, and this has put Deuba in a difficult situation, according to party insiders. Deuba wants to appoint some leaders who are close to senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel to give a message of unity. But his supporters oppose it.

Deuba’s aides Khum Bahadur Khadka, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Bimalendra Nidhi, Gyanenda Bahadur Karki, Prakash Sharan Mahat and Bal Krishna Khand

want to be nominated as office bearers.

Purna Bahadur, who earlier served as a joint general secretary, is eyeing the post of vice-president. But Khum Bahadur, who supported Deuba in the convention, also claims the post. “I have not given him [Khum Bahadur] any assurances to appoint him as an office bearer,” a leader quoted Deuba as telling his supporters.

Nidhi, Khand and Karki aspire to be appointed as the general secretary. Several CWC members are claiming the post of the joint general secretary. CWC member Shekhar Koirala is also an office bearer hopeful.