Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba is facing the music for failing to adhere to his pledges made while garnering support during the party’s general convention in March earlier this year.

NC leader Khum Bahadur Khadka called on Deuba at the latter’s residence in Budhanilkantha on Tuesday evening, where the duo discussed current political affairs, party matters and the remaining nominations

to the central committee and office bearers, among others, confirmed lawmaker Shankar Bhandari, a leader from Tanahu considered close to Khadka.

During the meeting, Khadka urged Deuba to work towards improving the organisational structure of the party, and demanded that the party president give Khadka his “due respect and nominate him as the party’s vice-president for his support to Deuba” during the party conclave in which the three-time prime minister came victorious with a wide margin.

According to Bhandari, Deuba in response assured Khadka that he was committed to the past agreements made between the two. “Our president explained that due to parliamentary works, the heavy aspirations of several leaders and his duty to carry along the defeated faction, it has taken some time to consider everyone while making nominations for office bearers,” said Bhandari.

Khadka, one of the influential leaders in the party, is leading a campaign to restore Nepal as a Hindu state. He was elected to the central committee with the second highest number of votes during the general convention.

But a leader close to Deuba claimed that the party president was wary of the consequences of nominating a person with a tarnished image. “We advised him to refrain from taking such controversial calls since Khadka has already served a jail term,” the leader said on condition of anonymity.

In 2012, Khadka lived behind the bars for one-a-half years after being convicted of corruption by the Supreme Court. Bhandari, however, clarified that the “agreement” between Deuba and Khadka was still effective and there was “no bitterness between them”.

As per the party statute, all nominations were supposed to be made within two months of the general convention that concluded on March 7.