KATHMANDU, Sept 5: The two major ruling parties, the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-UML, have indicated that they will not form pre-poll alliances with any party for the election to be held in 2084 BS. The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the NC has endorsed the proposal to contest the election independently, and the UML Politburo has expressed a similar stance, indicating that these two parties will not ally with any party in the upcoming elections. Both parties are currently holding internal meetings to discuss and finalize this issue.
The NC CWC meeting approved the policy proposal presented by the party’s Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, the organizational proposal presented by General Secretary Gagan Thapa, and the contemporary political proposal presented by General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma with amendments. The meeting also decided to contest the election alone, relying on its own strength without forming alliances.
It seems that the UML has oriented its organizational meetings towards the 2084 BS election. The party has decided not to collaborate with any other party in the upcoming by-elections. The UML is focused on building its organization with the goal of forming a majority government after the 2084 elections.
In the recently concluded Politburo meeting, the UML emphasized Mission 2084. For ‘Mission 84’, i.e., the 2084 BS election, the UML has already conducted two phases of the campaign. The party has also held various meetings to continue such campaigns and is preparing to start the third phase of the organizational expansion campaign while in government.
Pre-poll alliances make fielding candidates tough for parties
In the annual work plan presented by the UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel at Tuesday’s Politburo meeting, it was mentioned that the third phase of organizational expansion programs will be carried out.
The UML Politburo members expressed their views on the action plan on Wednesday. In Pokhrel's "Nirnayak Rastriya Shakti Nirman: Annual Action Plan,” it was mentioned that the third phase of programs will be conducted soon, based on the experience of "Mission Grassroots" and "Madhya Pahadi Sankalp Yatra." The aim of the program is to make the UML the strongest force after the upcoming elections.
In the 2074 BS election, the UML and the CPN (Maoist Center) formed an alliance, and in the 2079 BS election, the NC and the Maoist Center also contested together. Now, with the insistence of the NC leader Shekhar Koirala and General Secretary Thapa, it has been decided to fight the next election independently.
The UML was already focused on Mission 84. According to Rajendra Gautam, head of the UML Publicity and Publication Department, the UML is active in maintaining organizational strength. He also informed Republica that the UML has announced its plan to recruit 1 million party members for the upcoming elections.
At the beginning of the Politburo meeting held on Tuesday, the UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli instructed members to continue preparations for Mission 84. “The UML will not ally with anyone in the 2084 election; it will contest independently. However, we can coordinate to form a government based on the results," Oli said in the meeting.
Oli said that in order to succeed in Mission 84, the organizational work of the party should be streamlined, improved, and an action plan should be developed and implemented. “Organizations need to be efficient and well-managed. The provincial committees have not been functioning well. It’s not enough to wait for orders from above; we need to develop plans on the ground and implement them,” a member quoted Oli as saying in the meeting.
In the Politburo meeting concluded on Wednesday, the UML also discussed Mission 84. After the meeting, the head of the Publicity Department, Rajendra Gautam said, "We will not seek alliances in the upcoming elections. The NC has also stated that it will fight the elections alone. We will also contest the elections independently. There is no possibility of forming a left-wing front in the election.”
According to Ajay Babu Siwakoti, a CC member of the NC, the CC meeting has approved the proposal that the NC will not form an alliance with anyone in the upcoming elections. “The NC will not ally with anyone in the upcoming elections. Our proposal has already been passed,” Siwakoti said. He further informed Republica that the party has decided to contest the election on its own strength.
The UML plans to engage central-level leaders along with representatives from three levels of government to connect with the public. They will visit households to identify problems and propose solutions. To support this, the party will conduct ideological training sessions for leaders and activists across the country.
The earlier UML CC meeting had divided the responsibilities among central-level leaders. According to the decision, CC members will be assigned responsibility for parliamentary and provincial assembly constituencies, provincial committee leaders will be responsible for municipalities, and municipal leaders will handle ward responsibilities. The UML has planned to recruit three percent of the total voters as party members in each ward and six percent in municipalities and districts.
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