Nepali Congress faces delays in provincial election review meetings

Kathmandu. Although the Nepali Congress decided to conduct election reviews in various cities across all seven provinces from Chaitra 23 to Baishakh 5, the implementation of this decision has been affected. Following the central committee meeting held on Chaitra 11 and 12, the Congress issued a circular to the provinces on Chaitra 17 regarding the election review.

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However, according to that decision, the election review program has been completed in only 4 provinces so far. The review programs were completed in Madhesh, Gandaki, Lumbini, and Bagmati. The review was held in Madhesh on Chaitra 24, Gandaki on Chaitra 27, Lumbini on Chaitra 29, and Bagmati on Baishakh 7.

The Koshi province-level election review program is scheduled for Baishakh 9 (Wednesday) at Kanchanjunga Party Palace, Biratnagar. However, the review programs in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces have been postponed indefinitely.

Krishna Prasad Dulal, Chief Secretary of the party's central office, admitted that the election review programs for the two provinces have been postponed indefinitely. 'The review programs for the two provinces have been postponed. But it has not been decided when they will be held,' acting Chief Secretary Dulal told Ratopati on Tuesday. 'The party's Policy and Training Academy is conducting programs in the provinces. It was stopped because two programs were scheduled at the same time. It will be decided soon.'

However, leaders say there is a different truth behind the suspension of the review program. Lalitjung Shahi is the provincial president in Karnali and Bir Bahadur Balayar is the provincial president in Sudurpashchim. They belong to the faction of outgoing president Sher Bahadur Deuba. The establishment faction was forced to postpone the program because they did not coordinate in the provinces. Sudurpashchim is also Deuba's home province.

The programs were scheduled for Baishakh 6 in Sudurpashchim and Baishakh 11 in Karnali. Acting Chief Secretary Dulal has sent letters to the provincial working committees stating that those programs have been postponed 'until further notice'.

Dulal did not disclose the reason for the postponement of the pre-scheduled programs in the letter. 'The pre-scheduled program has been postponed until further notice due to special reasons,' Dulal wrote in the letter.

The Congress had also postponed the election review program scheduled for Baishakh 3 in Surkhet, Karnali province.

On Chaitra 30, acting Chief Secretary Dulal again wrote to the Karnali provincial working committee informing them that it would be held on Baishakh 11. That too was postponed at the last minute.

Sudurpashchim Provincial President Balayar said that the situation is not conducive to holding the program in the province whenever requested. 'One general secretary of the province has announced that he will remain inactive in politics. Another general secretary is a minister in the provincial government. The acting president is ill. I am also in Kathmandu due to illness,' Balayar told Ratopati. 'There is internal strife within the party. It is also the home province of outgoing president Sher Bahadur Deuba. Therefore, it should be done in consultation by finding time. That has not been seen yet.'

Narnarayan Shah 'Manu', General Secretary of Congress Sudurpashchim Province, has announced that he will quit politics and remain inactive. Another General Secretary, Meghraj Khadka, is the Minister of Social Development in the Sudurpashchim provincial government.

Balayar said that those who support the special general convention cannot move forward by ignoring the Deuba faction and sidelining those who have worked hard to bring the Congress party to this point. His indication was that the reason for the program being stopped in Sudurpashchim was the date set without consulting the Deuba faction. 'If Sher Bahadur is on one side and the special general convention is on the other, what can one say,' Balayar said.

Karnali Provincial President Shahi said that the election review program of the province had to be postponed for the second time because the time was not favorable. 'The program of Baishakh 3 was postponed to the 11th because the time was not favorable. It had to be postponed again because the time was not favorable this time either,' President Shahi told Ratopati. 'Other provincial officials had various tasks. I also had a parliamentary committee meeting, so it had to be postponed. It was postponed for practical reasons, not negative ones.'

When asked by Ratopati if it is rumored that it was postponed due to some negative issues, President Shahi said, 'It is not a negative reason. When efforts for unity in the party are being made from all sides, there is no question of negative reasons.'

Leaders say that the establishment faction leaders are engaged in internal discussions on how to proceed after the election review, which was to be held in the presence of candidates from all 165 constituencies, was postponed.