Key Nepali Congress Leaders Absent from Upcoming House of Representatives Elections

Kathmandu. The President, two Vice Presidents, one General Secretary, and three Assistant General Secretaries elected from the 14th General Convention of the Nepali Congress will not be candidates in the House of Representatives elections scheduled for February 21 (Falgun 21).

Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was the President until the Special General Convention held from Poush 27 to 30, acting President Purbahadur Khadka (to whom Deuba delegated responsibility from Ashoj 28), another Vice President Dhanraj Gurung, General Secretary Bishwaprakash Sharma, and Assistant General Secretaries Badri Pandey, Umakanta Chaudhary, and Jeevan Pariyar are not contesting the House of Representatives elections.  

General Secretary Sharma is serving as the coordinator of the party's 'Election Mobilization Committee' as he was unanimously elected Vice President during the Special General Convention. After the Election Commission recognized the Special General Convention, President Gagan Thapa has neither met with the outgoing office bearers, nor assigned them responsibilities, nor made them candidates for the election. Since they were not given candidacies against their wishes, most leaders have not returned to their home districts from Kathmandu. Their absence from the districts has prevented the atmosphere from building in favor of the Congress as much as it should have.   

Apart from these office bearers, former General Secretaries Prakash Man Singh and Dr. Shashank Koirala, and leaders Balkrishna Khand, Ramesh Lekhak, Bal Bahadur KC, among others, are also not candidates in this election. President Thapa nominated 106 new leaders for the 165 direct candidates, leaving the older leaders without roles.

The outgoing President Deuba is currently in Kathmandu. His personal secretary, Bhanu Deuba, informed that preparations are underway for him to visit his district Dadeldhura and other places for election campaigning, but the exact date is not confirmed. "He is preparing to go to his home district Dadeldhura and other places for voting and campaigning," said personal secretary Deuba, "The time is not yet certain."

Deuba was elected as a candidate from Dadeldhura for the Congress in all parliamentary elections held from 2048 BS to 2079 BS. He also wished to compete one last time now, but ultimately announced he would not contest the election. Young leader Nainsingh Mahar is the candidate in Deuba's place. Mahar also confirmed that Deuba would visit Dadeldhura for campaigning. "I met him when I went to Kathmandu. He has said he will come for campaigning," Mahar told Ratopati.   

The outgoing acting President Khadka is also currently in Kathmandu. Khadka's personal secretary, Gautam BC, informed Ratopati that preparations are being made for him to visit his home district and other places for election campaigning, but the time is not fixed. Khadka previously contested from Surkhet-1.

A few days ago, Khadka himself had requested that although he would not contest the election, all party members should unite to ensure the victory of the party's candidate with a large majority. Khadka had appealed, "I sincerely request and appeal to all my respected voters, sisters and brothers, that all party ranks unite to campaign for the party's candidate who comes before you with the election symbol of the tree and ensure their victory with a massive mandate."  

Outgoing Vice President Gurung returned to Kathmandu only on Friday after visiting his home district Syangja.  

Sharma, elected as General Secretary in the 14th General Convention and promoted to Vice President in the Special General Convention, has been given the responsibility of Election Mobilization Committee Coordinator by President Thapa. The Congress central office informed that Sharma, who stated he would not contest this election but would work for the party's victory, is currently involved in formulating election strategies. He is scheduled to address an election rally in Jhapa-2 on Magh 19. Sharma was elected from Jhapa-1 in the previous election.  

Pushpa Bhusal, elected as Central Member in the 14th General Convention and becoming Vice President in the Special General Convention, is also in Kathmandu formulating election strategies. She and Vice President Sharma are currently managing the Congress's election command.  

Outgoing Assistant General Secretary Badri Pandey had announced that he would not contest this election but would dedicate himself to party work. Pandey informed that he is leaving for his home district Bajura on Saturday morning. "I am going to Bajura tomorrow. The plan is to participate in campaigning with the candidate there. I plan to stay for about a week and then go to other districts for campaigning," Pandey told Ratopati. Pandey was directly elected from Bajura in the last election. He was the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation until the time of the Janta Andolan.   

The other outgoing Assistant General Secretary Pariyar is in his home district Kaski. Pariyar informed Ratopati that he reached Pokhara on Magh 11 and has been engaged in election campaigning. "I came to Pokhara on Magh 11. I am busy with election campaigning. The atmosphere in favor of the party is quite good so far," Pariyar told Ratopati. Pariyar was a Member of Parliament through proportional representation in the previous election.  

Former General Secretary Prakash Man Singh's home district is Kathmandu itself. Although Singh, who won directly from Kathmandu-1 in the previous three elections, wished to contest now, the committee formed from the Special General Convention did not give him a ticket. Although he is in Kathmandu, he has not been seen participating in election campaigning.  

According to his secretariat, Singh has been meeting candidates who visit his home and wishing them success, but he has not participated in any election programs. A leader close to him informed that no program has been scheduled for him to attend anywhere.  

Former General Secretary Dr. Shashank Koirala, who has been winning all elections from Nawalpur-1 since 064 BS until 079 BS, has also not yet gone to his district for election campaigning. His secretariat informed that there is no program scheduled for him to go to the district until Falgun 4. Secretariat members say that he will go to the district after that.   

Dr. Koirala had wished to contest the election in Nawalpur-1, where he has been winning, but President Thapa did not give him the ticket.  

Not only this, Bal Bahadur KC, who has been contesting from Solukhumbu, Balkrishna Khand from Rupandehi-3, Ramesh Lekhak from Kanchanpur-3, Ramhari Khatiwada from Okhaldhunga, and Sita Gurung, the only woman directly elected to the House of Representatives in 079, did not receive tickets. Lekhak has reached his home district Kanchanpur, but the other leaders remain in Kathmandu.  

The Special General Convention led by former General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma has not been accepted by the faction of outgoing President Deuba and leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala. After the Election Commission refused to recognize the petition filed by them, stating the Special General Convention was against the bylaws, they have approached the Supreme Court.  

Leaders from that faction state that on Magh 4, the bench of Supreme Court Justice Sunil Pokharel, in response to their writ petition, ordered the Election Commission on Magh 6 to submit a written response within 15 days, either in person or through a representative. That 15-day period ends on Magh 21, and only after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict will a decision on the next steps be taken, according to leaders of that group.