Nepali Congress Deputy President Admits Electoral Defeat, Vows Deep Review

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress Deputy President Bishwa Prakash Sharma has admitted that the results of the recently concluded elections were not favorable to his party and stated that a deep and ruthless review would be conducted.

In a video message released on social media platform Facebook, Sharma stated that the election results were not unexpected, concluding that the party suffered defeat because it failed to grasp the aspirations of the citizens and the changing psychology in time.

Sharma mentioned that the Congress ignored the message sent by independent candidates winning the mayoral races in Dharan, Dhangadhi, and Kathmandu Metropolitan Cities in the 2079 local elections. He noted that voters clearly sent the message, "Change the government's working style, change the party, or we will change our minds," but the party failed to change itself at the expected pace. Sharma clarified that the birth of new parties capitalized on the opportunity to convert this public resentment into votes.

He admitted that although the Congress became the largest party in parliament, it failed to play an effective role whether leading the government or sitting in the opposition. He stated that the failure to bring progress in the speed and style of the government's work led to dissatisfaction, despair, and rebellion among the general public, resulting in electoral defeat due to the inability to instill confidence among the voter base. His analysis suggests that while anyone can incite rebellion, failure to build trust leads to unfavorable results.

Sharma stated that although efforts for internal reform, including policy conventions after the General Convention, were undertaken, they were insufficient. He admitted that despite efforts to diagnose internal party problems through an 'MRI' and disseminate documented findings to the grassroots level, the party could not overcome populism. In a situation where the public sought change in all sectors—administration, political parties, and government—Congress failed to convey to the general public that the change must begin from within itself, he mentioned in the video.

Sharma philosophically argued that only two things are certain: death and change, stating that while people do not desire death, they constantly seek change. He said that someone had to start addressing the general expectation for change across all sectors, and they missed the opportunity because someone else initiated it.

Sharma announced that a meeting of the party's Central Working Committee would be convened soon for a deep review of this matter. He stated that this defeat would not be taken lightly, and the shortcomings in the current leadership, former leadership, and the overall party operation process would be scrutinized one by one. He claimed that a thorough study would be conducted on where the party erred in government and party operations since past elections to make the party vibrant in a new way.

In this hour of defeat, Sharma urged the entire party structure to remain calm, exercise restraint, and stay united and energetic. At the end of the message, he congratulated the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which emerged from the elections, and all winning candidates, embracing the democratic practice.