Leadership Race Heats Up as Non-Resident Nepali Association Prepares for 12th General Convention

As the date for the 12th General Convention of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) approaches, a tussle for leadership has begun within the organization. NRNA activists state that current Vice Presidents Robin Sherchan and Dr. Hemraj Sharma have emerged as the main contenders for the convention scheduled to take place at Hotel Soaltee in Kathmandu from March 13 to 15.

While names like Keshav Paudel and other activists are also being discussed in the race for leadership, the main competition appears to be between Sharma and Sherchan. Both leaders have intensified internal strategizing and groundwork to sway delegates to their side.

With the current Vice Presidents set to compete for the Chairman post, another Vice President, Ramsharan Simkhada, is lobbying for the position of General Secretary. He is considered influential within the NRNA. This leadership contest is reportedly creating a situation where the activists known as the group of the current Chairman, Dr. Badri KC, could become divided.

Alongside the race for leadership, a debate has intensified within the organization regarding the election modality (system). A large faction, including another Chairman Mahesh Shrestha, insists that this election must be held physically in Kathmandu, while some activists from Dr. Badri KC's leadership group favor a fully online voting system. Amidst this dispute, the eighth meeting of the Steering Committee, conducted by General Secretary Gauriraj Joshi on Saturday, agreed to make the final decision regarding the election process only after coordinating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting decided to organize a coordination meeting, led by Chairmen Dr. KC and Shrestha, along with legal experts and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The organization stated that an official decision regarding the election process will be made only after formal discussions with the Ministry within 3 to 5 days. Members unable to be physically present in Nepal will be allowed to participate in the discussions with the Ministry via online means.
Although there is an ongoing dispute over the election modality, the organization has set technical preparations and a timeline. The meeting has tasked the Secretariat with finding a reliable international online voting company. According to the schedule for selecting delegates for the General Convention, new or missing membership applications will automatically close from 12:00 AM on January 25, 2026. All National Coordination Councils (NCCs) will be informed that the final membership list will be published on January 31, which will be considered the 'cut-off date'.

Similarly, NCCs have been given the deadline of February 1 to 10, 2026, to recommend delegates, and the details must be sent to the Secretariat by February 14. A procedure for how to select delegates in cases where two different teams or disputes arise in the same country is planned to be decided by January 31.

Strict measures have been implemented so that representatives from countries that do not pay the stipulated membership fees will not be allowed to participate in the General Convention. The organization announced that the main theme for the 12th General Convention will also be discussed and proposed in the next meeting. The fragmented NRNA was recently unified under the patronage of former Prime Minister Sushila Karki. The 12th General Convention is taking place after this unification.