NC General Convention: Facts, figures and trivia

KATHMANDU, March 2: As the Nepali Congress (NC), the oldest political party in the country, busies itself for its upcoming 13th national convention at a war-footing pace, we share you some of the facts and figures and trivia in connection to the same.

The 13th National Convention is going to start from tomorrow in Kathmandu with the slogan ‘Constitution Under Sushil's leadership, Now Our Campaign is to Build Prosperous Nation’.

NC, the biggest political party in the Legislature-Parliament and now the major opposition, is organizing the 13th convention after a hiatus of five years. The convention will last through three days.

The last convention of the NC was held from September 17-21 in 2010 which had elected late Sushil Koirala as the Party President.

The upcoming event is likely to hand over the leadership baton to a new leadership where the Koiralas have mostly been at the helm of affairs since its establishment in 1947.

The event, taking place following the demise of NC President Sushil Koirala on February 9, has been viewed with keen interest and curiosity not only in the domestic polity but also among the public as to who it elects its leader.

The opening of the three-day affair is going be inaugurated at Khula Manch by NC Acting President Ramchandra Poudel. The NC norm has it that its Party President inaugurates the national convention.

Various international leaders, representing their respective political parties, including Chief Minister of Bihar State of India, Nitish Kumar, will also attend the event.

The latest national convention of NC has come through witnessing various political developments in the country and change in leadership since its first national convention on January 25-26 at Bhawanipur of then Calcutta in India.

A merger of Nepali National Congress and Nepal Democratic Congress forged during the Party's fourth convention on April 9, 1950 formed the Nepali Congress.

The upcoming convention is taking place following the promulgation of a new constitution on September 20, 2015 during the NC-led government. The country has witnessed various political breakthroughs through the NC-led movements such as crusade against the then autocratic Rana regime, Panchayat system and democratic movement in 1990 and the people's movement in 2006/07.

NC Acting President Poudel is up for the upcoming mega meet of the NC with the policy, plan and programmers to be presented during the event. He has attempted to redefine NC's core principles as nationality, democracy and socialism in his plan and policies for the Party. Poudel is also running for the post of the Party President in the 13th National Convention.

Leader Poudel is of the confidence that his vision, program and policies envisaged for the party would further strengthen the Party and make pace for socio-economic development in the country.

Furthermore, the plan and program has also dwelt on the NC's role in implementation of the new constitution.

The regional convention of Party in 240 constituencies is over. As per the NC Charter, a total of 2,880 representatives are elected on the basis of proportional and inclusive election arrangement.

Likewise, the total 3,188 convention representatives will participate in the convention (98 from 98 organizations of NC sister wings and well-wishers, 126 from 17 Janasamparka Samitis abroad and 84 central members and office bearers of existing central committees).

Conventions will be held in those 10 disputed districts including those where regional conventions were completed lately, after the general convention, said the convention management committee.

The committee added that convention representatives across the nation are assembling in the capital city for the same.

The closed session of the convention will be held at Bhrikuti Mandap, while the elections are scheduled to take place on March 6.

As the inauguration of the convention is a day away, many nooks and corners of the valley and the entrances to the Capital city have been decorated with NC party flags and banners featuring photos of the late NC party founder BP Koirala, the late former NC presidents Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Girija Prasad Koirala and Sushil Koirala and the late NC leaders Subarna Samsher Rana and Ganesh Man Singh.

Likewise, hoarding boards featuring party flags have been put up at various cross-roads, the main markets of the valley. The street walls have been decorated with posters displaying the pictures of various the late NC leaders. RSS