The Nepali Congress leadership has instructed the leaders of its sister wing Nepal Student Union to take part in the Free Student Union elections, agreeing to the Tribhuvan University’s decision to impose an age bar of 28 years for the candidates.

The meeting of the party, also attended by the NSU representatives, on Thursday directed the union to start preparations for the polls without wasting time.

The Senate meeting of the largest and oldest varsity of the country in the first week of January amended the FSU regulations, inserting a provision that one has to be below 28 years to contest the polls. Though all other unions welcomed the decision, a section of the NSU leaders close to NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel was against the decision. The poll is set to take place on February 25. They argue that since there is no age limit for enrolment to the university, there should also not be an age bar to contest the student polls. The meeting chaired by NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba was attended by Poudel and General Secretary Shashank Koirala, among others.

“The party leadership has cleared the dispute. Our focus now will be on the preparations for the polls,” NSU President Nain Singh Mahar said in a statement after the meeting.

The possibility of the election that has been stalled for the last eight years has increased with the NC leadership ending the dispute.