The Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting of Nepali Congress (NC) on Friday decided to forge alliance with the “democratic forces” in the elections of National Assembly (NA) slated for February 7.

With the left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) commanding a comfortable majority in the Lower House, the NC wants to ensure that the party’s presence is not undermined by the left in the NA or Upper House. To this end, the NC is planning to for aa electoral alliance with Madhes-based parties, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Democratic), among others.

The appointment of two provincial chiefs from Rastriya Janata Party and Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum by Prime Minister and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba is being seen as an indication of imminent alliance between NC and the Madhes-centric forces.

NC leaders are said to be in informal discussions with these parties about the Upper House elections.

 The CWC meeting also set criteria while selecting candidates for the NA elections.

“The party leaders who contested the elections in for the Lower House and provincial assemblies will not be allowed to run in the NA election,” said CWC member Ram Hari Khatiwada.

The Parliamentary Board of the party is mandated to pick the candidates, although a section of the NC has been demanding the party leadership to scarp the body immediately.

CWC member Shekhar Koirala announced in Friday’s meeting that he was stepping down as the member of the Parliamentary Board that was formed “against the provisions of the party statute”.

He also called on the party leadership accept the outcome of the recent elections for what is it.

“The party leadership must accept the reality that Congress lost the elections. And to take comfort from the popular votes received by the party would just be an attempt at avoiding criticism,” Koirala said. In the two-day long meeting, several NC leaders came down heavily against Deuba. They blamed inept leadership for the party’s defeat in last year’s local and general elections.

Though the meeting was convened to solicit the views of the party leaders on the NA elections, some leaders could not help but criticise the working style of  Deuba.