Wooing key leaders from establishment faction also
Big parties see high number of aspirants in Baitadi
KATHMANDU, Feb 15: Nominating candidates for top posts for the upcoming party general convention has been a challenge for the establishment faction of the Nepali Congress (NC). However, managing aspirants for these same posts is no less challenging for the rival faction of the party led by Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Though leaders in the Deuba faction are yet to publicly announce their candidacies, more than half a dozen of them are lobbying for various office-bearer posts.
With Deuba approaching some key leaders from the establishment faction to join his camp and offering them office-bearer posts as inducements, leaders in his own camp have started worrying as such a strategy may cost them their own positions.
With the party statute providing for only five office-bearer positions apart from party president, Deuba is finding it a tough task managing the aspirants from his faction.
According to NC leader Prakash Sharan Mahat, no leader from the faction is rigid about any post. "Though there are many aspirants, no leader will claim any candidacy, posing a serious challenge for Deuba in his election as party president," said Mahat.
Arjun Narsingh KC, who was with the establishment faction, is all set to join the Deuba faction to become a candidate for party general-secretary just ahead of the general convention. But Bimalendra Nidhi, who has been a close aide of Deuba, wants to contest the post himself. Purna Bahadur Khadka, who is deputy general-secretary at present, has been lobbying hard for general-secetary. Chitra Lekha Yadav, treasurer at present, was the sole candidate to be elected an office bearer from the Deuba camp at the last general convention. She wants a key post this time round as well, said one party leader.
The party elects two general-secretaries. One is elected directly through the convention and the other is to be appointed by the elected party president.
Leaders close to Deuba assume that Deuba's victory as party president will be a tough task without making some key leaders from the establishment side defect to their panel.
"Deuba is also for putting in some effort to include some leaders from the establishment faction in his team in order to help remove the feeling of long-running factionalism and unite the party," Mahendra Yadav, who is close to Deuba, told Republica. "We want to incorporate at least one leader from the Koirala family among the office bearers."
According to sources, Deuba is mulling an offer of party vice-president to Khum Bahadur Khadka. But according to leaders, if Arjun Narsingh KC is made a candidate for general-secretary, Deuba has to offer Nidhi the position of vice-president, said a leader close to his camp. Deuba has to address the aspirations of Gopal Man Shresha, who wants to become vice-president.
Among other second rung leaders, Balkrishna Khand and Gyanendra Bahadur Karki are lobbying for the post of deputy general-secretary. Senior leader Man Bahadur Biswakarma has so far remained an unopposed candidate for treasurer from the Deuba faction.
