The 11th General Convention delegate election of CPN (UML) has produced mixed outcomes in Koshi Province, with several districts opting for consensus while many others headed to competitive voting.
Early results show the factions aligned with Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Senior Vice-Chair Ishwar Pokharel running “almost evenly,” according to party insiders.
Of the province’s 14 districts, Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Solukhumbu and Bhojpur selected delegates unopposed. Khotang is also attempting a last-minute consensus, district chair Dev Bikram Rai said.
In contrast, Dhankuta’s selection process stalled after protesters tore ballot papers, throwing the outcome into uncertainty. In Okhaldhunga, voting was halted after only 15 percent of ballots were cast, barring officials from certifying results, Koshi Province chair Ghanashyam Khatri said.
Tehrathum saw uncontested elections, with Baburam Thapa, Laxman Tiwari, Tejman Kandangwa, Yadav Khapung, Sanjay Kumar Tumbahamphe, Santosh Tigela, Tara Kharel Dhakal, Chhabimaya Timilsina and Kamala Darnal unanimously chosen.
Factional patterns varied across districts. Taplejung allocated 12 seats—eight to the Oli camp and four to Pokharel’s. Panchthar elected seven Oli-aligned delegates. In Ilam, 13 Oli and seven Pokharel supporters were selected by consensus, while Bhojpur divided its 12 seats – nine to Oli camp and three in favor of the Ishwar camp.
Morang delivered a mixed picture: Constituency 1 produced no victories for the Pokharel faction, while Constituency 6 went entirely to Pokharel supporters. Constituencies 2, 3, 4 and 5 split seats between the two groups. Current tallies show 23 delegates for Oli’s side and 21 for Pokharel’s in the district.
Jhapa’s election for 38 delegates saw all Oli-backed candidates win, though some independents unaffiliated with either camp were also elected. “There were no factional slates in Jhapa; candidates filed independently,” UML leader Shiva Dhungel said. Results from Jhapa Constituency 2 are still pending.
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