Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and four other leaders are in the fray for the post of Nepali Congress president during the 14th general convention of the party.
Deuba was appointed as Prime Minister by Supreme Court issuing a mandamus earlier this year and became premier of the Himalayan Nation for the fifth time. Now he is in the fray to secure a second term as party president. His his former aides are contesting against him for the post.
"If Sher Bahadur Deuba would get re-elected as party president at the General Convention, it would prove that he enjoys influence and would become more powerful in the party. But it doesn't ends here. He needs to work to bring changes inside the party. On the other side there are the three tier election of local bodies, province and house of representatives. It is speculated that the party might not get the expected results," Niraj Raj Joshi, a senior journalist from Kathmandu, told ANI.
Incumbent party president Sher Bahadur Deuba is being challenged by Dr Shekhar Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi and Kalyan Gurung.
"In case another panel led by Shekhar Koirala wins against Deuba, then a generation of politics would end giving birth to another generation which would be a newer generation. This new generation would stand as a prominent competitor against the leftists. It would further establish the party among the people," Joshi added.
In the earlier round of the convention held in the year 2016, a total of three candidates fought for the top post inside the party. Deuba along with Ram Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula had stood against each other for the post of party president. In the Nepali Congress, to win party president post, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the total votes cast. For other positions, whoever secures the most votes wins. With more candidates fighting for the single post, votes are expected to be divided and lead towards a run-off.
With run-off for the top post of ruling party expected cadres and election representatives elected from various levels hope it would not affect the functioning and presence of party in the upcoming elections.
"The country needs a stronger Nepali Congress party, but there is now a rift inside the party. The division needs to be eliminated and for that we need changes inside the party," Bhartandu Kumar Mallik, one of the elected representatives from Nepali Congress, who voted in the ongoing general convention, told ANI.
More than 4,700 representatives are casting their votes to elect a 134-member Central Working Committee (CWC) including 13 office-bearers. Of 167-member Central Working Committee of the NC, 134 members and office bearers will be elected today while the remaining 33 members will be nominated by the president as per the statute of the party.
The general convention started on Friday. Five candidates are vying for the post of president, seven for two vice-presidents, six for two general secretaries and 19 for eight deputy general secretaries. Similarly, 429 candidates are vying for the post of 121 members.
( With inputs from ANI )
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