Chitwan Congress sees election fever in view of 14th general convention

CHITWAN, June 21: Nepali Congress (NC) Chitwan has witnessed election fever in view of the 14th general convention of the Democratic Party. 

NC Chitwan District President Jeet Narayan Shrestha said some of the potential candidates claiming their candidacies from ward to the centre have stepped up their election campaign after the NC central working committee has recently set a new date for the general convention. 

The district leaders have started staking their claims for different leadership positions. Sitting Vice-president Kailash Koirala and Secretary Uttam Joshi are claiming their candidacies in the district leadership of the Congress. Among others showing interests in the position of the President in Chitwan are former parliamentarian and ex-Deputy Mayor of Bharatpur municipality and senior advocate Jagannath Poudel, former district president of Nepal Student Union and founder registrar of the Agriculture and Forestry University Prof Dr Surya Kanta Ghimire and Province Assembly member Milan Babu Shrestha. Mahasamiti members Rajendra Burlakoti, Rajeswor Khanal and Bijaya Bhusal have also intensified their election campaign for the post of district president. However, the number of aspiring candidates can go up or down. 

The district has a total of 27,855 active members, including 10,807 new ones. Bharatpur Metropolis has the highest number of active members (15,658) in the district. Ratnanagar municipality is in the second top list with 4,401 active members which is followed by Khairahani (3,007), Kalika (1,678), Rapti (1,345), Madi (906) and  Ichhakamana (860). 

The ward level convention of the NC is scheduled to take place on July 27. The municipal level convention is to be held on July 31, province constituency committee convention on August 4, House of Representatives (HoR) constituency committee convention on August 7 and district convention on August 10. The conventions will pick new leadership at different levels of the party leadership from the ward.