KATHMANDU, June 25: Three senior leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC) - Bimalendra Nidhi, Dr Shashank Koirala and Prakash Man Singh - have held a lunch meeting at the residence of Dr Koirala in Maharajgunj on Friday. All three leaders are seen as the aspirants of the party's central president in the upcoming 14th general convention scheduled to be held from September 1 to 4 in Kathmandu. 

Party insiders say this is an attempt to forge a new alliance within the party as a number of senior leaders have announced to contest for the post of the party president. Vice President Nidhi, who is a close confidante of President Sher Bahadur Deuba, has taken initiatives to forge an alliance with leaders close to the rival faction after President Deuba announced his intention to contest for the post of party president for another term. 

Earlier, Nidhi had hosted a lunch meeting for Dr Koirala, who is seen as a presidential candidate from the rival faction within the party. Leaders close to Nidhi said the three leaders are holding another round of meeting at the residence of Prakash Man Singh to discuss further about their possible alliance in the upcoming 14th general convention of the party. 

While Deuba has already announced his intention to repeat his term as the party president, senior leaders Ram Chandra Paudel and Dr Shekhar Koirala are also among those vying for the post of NC president.