The General Convention of Nepali Congress is held every four yours as per the party statue. As things stand, the 15th General Convention of the party will be held in the Nepali month Mangsir, 2082 BS. The 14th General Convention had been held in Mansgsir 2078 BS.
As the 15th General Convention approaches, NC leaders are already engaged in preparations for it. Dr Shekhar Koirala, who lost to the presidential election to Sher Bahadur Deuba in the 14th General Convention, is making preparations to run for the post in the upcoming general convention again and is undertaking a nationwide tour to turn the tables in his favor, currently.
This is Deuba's second term as the president. The NC statute does not allow the same candidate to run for the president three times in a row.
NC 14 office-bearers and group affiliations
With Deuba no longer being able to run for the party president, the leaders in his group have started changing groups.
There are 14 Congress office-bearers. Of these, six are ready to join the Koirala group as the date for the upcoming general convention is inching closer. Four of the six office-bearers have changed factions and joined the Koirala group.
"With Sher Bahadur dai being ineligible to run for the presidency, leaders of his faction are gradually becoming closer to Koirala," an NC leader told Nepalkhabar, "Many office-bearers and those above 60 years of age have vowed their support to Koira to become the next party president."
Of the 14 office-bearers (including the treasurer to be nominated by the President), Dhanraj Gurung, joint general secretaries Badri Pandey, Jivan Pariyar had been elected through the Koirala faction in the 14th General Convention. They are currently in the Koirala faction.
Apart from these office-bearers, General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma, who contested the elections from Prakash Man Singh group is close to Koiral. Deuba had assigned Bishwa Prakash as the party spokesperson.
"Bishwa Prakash and Dr Shekhar Koirala have reached an understanding," a NC leader said, "Koirala could not win the presidential election for his failure to maintain balance among the group members. He could not retain Bishwa Prakash in his group, either. Now, he has reached an understanding with Bishwa Prakash."
Similarly, Joint General Secretary Bhishma Raj Angdembe is now close to Koirala. He had been elected from the Deuba group. Angdembe said, "I will be with Deuba dai until his presidential term. When his term expires, my support will go to Shekhar dai." Angdembe has already started participating in the programs attended by Koirala.
Mahendra Yadav, another joint general secretary, who was close to Balkrishna Khand, has now become closer to Koirala, after Khand sided with Koirala.
Koirala had visited Khand three times when the latter was serving a jail-term for investigation into the Bhutanese refugee case.
Koirala is regularly meeting with joint general secretaries Kishore Singh Rathore and Mahalaxmi Upadhyaya in an attempt to bring them into his faction. However, an understanding is yet to be reached, the leaders have said.
A leader close to Shekhar Koirala said, "Talks have been held with Rathore. The meeting is heading toward positive direction. Dina didi has agreed to move in unison."
The other leader in the Deuba faction, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, has publicly started lobbying in favor of Koirala as the next presidential candidate of the party.
"Those who devote their time to the party will succeed," Basnet told Nepalkhabar, "Girija Prasad Koirala, Kishun ji, Ganesh Man devoted their lifetime to the party organizations and achieved success eventually. In the similar manner, Koirala is undertaking a nationwide tour."
He stated that he will accept the leadership of Koirala after Deuba. "I would stand with Deuba if he were to run for the presidency. Since he is no longer contesting the presidential elections as per the party statue, we have to choose another party leader. I will do accordingly."
In the first phase of the 14th General Convention, there were five presidential candidates: Sher Bahadur Deuba, Shekhar Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi, and Kalyan Gurung.
In the past general convention, Shekhar had to suffer defeat after not only the leaders of the Ramchandra-Shekhar group (Prakashman Singh, and Ramchandra Paudel), but also members of the Koirala clan (former General Secretary Shashank Koirala and leader Sujata Koirala), lent support to Deuba.
In the second phase of voting, while Deuba secured 2,733 votes in the presidential elections, his rival Koirala obtained 1,855 votes. Even though Gagan Thapa secured popular votes from the Koirala group in the last general elections, he has now joined the Deuba group and creating his own faction within the group.
NP Saud who was earlier in the Deuba group appears closer to Koirala, of late. Sujata Koirala has publicly announced her support for Koirala for the next presidency and has also urged all the cadres and leaders to elect Koirala as the next party president.
Former General Secretary Dr. Shashanka Koirala has stated that leaders from the Koiral family will stand united in the upcoming general convention of the party.
Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, Joint General Secretary Farmullah Mansur, Joint General Secretary Umakanta Chaudhary and Treasurer Umesh Shrestha are still in the President Deuba's group.
Treasurer Shrestha is a nominee. Leaders close to Koirala, also say that party spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, has become close to the Koirala group.
Similarly, incumbent Health Minister Pradeep Paudel has also become closer to Koirala. According to a source close to the Koirala group, Dr Shekhar has promised to make him General Secretary. "An understanding has been reached to field Pradeep ji as the General Secretary from the Koirala group in the upcoming general conventions."
Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka is making preparations to run for the party presidency in the 15th General Convention. He is seeking Deuba's support to this effect.
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