Shekhar Golchha and Kishore Kumar Pradhan cranked up their campaigns on Monday in a bid to secure the post of senior vice-president at the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI). The country’s largest umbrella body of the private sector holds an election for the post at the FNCCI’s 51st Annual General Meeting on Tuesday.

After efforts from current FNCCI President Pashupati Murarka fell through, both the contenders, with their respective panels, have gone all out against each other into the election. 

Golchha’s panel includes Dinesh Shrestha, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, Umesh Lal Pradhan, who are vying for the posts of three vice presidents. The vice-presidents represent district chambers, associates group and commodities association. After Pradhan also endorsed Dhakal as common candidate for the post of vice-president from the associate group, the latter was elected to the post with a unanimous vote. 

That leaves Dinesh Shrestha and Umesh Lal Pradhan competing with Pramod Shrestha and Shanker Pandey from Pradhan’s panel which has filed candidacy for two vice-presidents, representing the district chambers and the commodities association.  

Apart from the contenders, eminent business personalities are also openly taking sides to ensure victory of their candidates. 

While the past presidents, like Suraj Vaidya and Kush Kumar Joshi, are seen throwing their weight behind Pradhan, Chandi Raj Dhakal is lobbying for Golchha. 

“Pradhan is the right candidate with halmarks of a good leader,” Vaidya told the Post. 

Dhakal made a pitch for Golchha, saying, “he is a mix of youth and experience–a right kind of personality to lead the private sector apex body in future”. 

The FNCCI’s special general meeting held in October 2016 enabled an automatic elevation of the senior vice-president to FNCCI president without having to contest an election. This has only brought all the attention to the election of senior vice-president. 

Bhawani Rana, the current FNCCI senior vice-president, will take the reins from Murarka on Tuesday. The candidate who wins the senior vice-president election this time will take the leadership batton at the end of Rana’s tenure in three years.

Rana: Set to be first female to lead apex private sector body

KATHMANDU: The FNCCI will see a woman at the helm for the first time in five decades when incumbent senior vice-president Bhawani Rana assumes the top post on Tuesday. Rana, the chairperson of Sneha Group that has investment in the hospitality and agriculture sectors, joined the federation more than a decade ago as a nominated member. 

Rana was also the first elected female vice-president of the FNCCI and was unanimously elevated to the post of senior vice-president after then senior vice-president Pashupati Murarka assumed the top post following the arrest of the elected president, Pradeep Jung Pandey. (PR)