Congress leader Govinda Bhattarai: The party will not split

Kathmandu. Despite being honest and simple, Congress leader Govinda Bhattarai is known as an 'unlucky' leader. Having led the Nepal Students Union and Tarun Dal, Bhattarai has yet to reach any state position, whereas all previous presidents of the Nepal Students Union have held some form of state office.

More interestingly, Gagan Thapa, whom he gave a ticket to become the Free Student Union president, is now the General Secretary of the Congress, and Pradeep Paudel from his home district of Tanahun is also a General Secretary.

Perhaps due to self-reproach, he is no longer in the Gagan Thapa group. Bhattarai has remained caught in the factional interests between current President Ramchandra Paudel and leader Govindaraj Joshi.

After Paudel became President, he ran for the House of Representatives from Tanahun-1 for the first time but was defeated by Swarnim Wagle of the RSP. The same fate repeated for Bhattarai the second time. A PhD holder in Economics, Bhattarai worked for a long time on road and water supply projects in remote villages of Tanahun even without holding any office. That is why some in Tanahun call him the 'Water Man'.

Why did Bhattarai not choose the group when his own workers became party General Secretaries? Why is the Deuba group preparing to split the party by ignoring the decisions made by the special general convention, the court, and the Election Commission?

Rohit Dahal had a long conversation with leader Bhattarai for Ratopati regarding the future of the Congress and the changing politics. Edited excerpt of the conversation with Bhattarai- (The detailed conversation can be watched and heard in the video)

• The Nepali Congress held a legislative convention. It was recognized by the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. Why the chaos now?

That is not the case. Either they should not have gone to court. Once they have gone, whatever the court's decision is, it must be accepted.

• If so, why are there meetings and gatherings in the name of the Deuba group and the Khadka group?

The practice of various factions within the party has been a subject for a long time.

• Is there no need to debate this anymore?

Not anymore. It is over.

• What is left for Sher Bahadur Deuba, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Krishna Sitaula, and Prakashman Singh now?

It is not like that. I hear that talks are happening. That will be resolved now.

• There is talk of even holding a separate general convention.

No, no, that is not the case.

• What happened in the meeting?

I was not in that meeting. I do not know about that.

• Is it your statement that there is no alternative but for everyone to be united in the Congress under Gagan Thapa's leadership?

The Congress was united even during the election. No rebels stood up in one place. I fought the election on Gagan's ticket. I campaigned in villages saying Gagan is the future Prime Minister. Now there is nothing to say about that.

• Will the Congress split or not?

It will not split.

• But some are trying to split it.

No, no, I do not think it will split. There is a question of what to split it for.

• They have scheduled a general convention in Ashoj. Will the 15th General Convention happen on that date?

Accepting or not is one thing. But there is also the question of how practical the Ashoj convention is for us.

• What is your opinion on the election results? Who should take responsibility?

Rather than taking responsibility for winning or losing, how will you revive the party now? Currently, your vote count is around 1.75 million. There are 5.1 million votes on the other side. How will you take 1.7 million to 3.4 million? Or how to take it above 4-5 million is the main agenda now.

• The issue of active membership renewal is also in dispute.

Everyone worked together when it was time to renew and distribute active memberships for the 15th General Convention. The renewal work was already finished. It was renewed with great difficulty. It is not a situation where people across the country are scrambling to get active membership with great enthusiasm; it would be impractical to ask everyone across the country to renew again.

• There are examples of your party leaders mingling and dining with middlemen, and not leaving their posts even when ministers are accused of things. Do you feel uncomfortable when a minister resigns as soon as an accusation is made now?

Our leaders have also resigned. Our leaders have even left the post of Prime Minister.

• Where are Sher Bahadur Deuba and Arzu Deuba now?

That is a matter for those filing the case to find out.

• You do not have information?

No.

• What is your take on this government?

The concern now is whether this constitution will remain or not? Will democracy remain or not? Our concern is whether this country will remain united or not.

• It is a disease of Congress and Communists. If Congress does not win, they see a threat to democracy. If Communists do not win, they call it foreign interference. This is a disease, right?

How much can we stop foreign influence? In the form of democracy we are seeing now, will it continue, or will your and my right to speak be curbed tomorrow?

• Do you have doubts?

When it does not come out clearly in terms of principles, one wonders what is what. Attacks on the institutions of democracy have already begun.