NC holds ward conventions in 59 districts

Amid speculations about whether the ruling Nepali Congress can hold its 14th convention amid growing rift within the party and COVID-19 cases, it has succeeded to hold the ward level convention, the lowest unit of the party, in 59 districts.

As the party managed to resolve the active membership rows in 59 of 77 districts, the ward level convention was held only in those districts where the list of active members was finalised.

Interestingly, when the leaders in the centre are divided into several factions, most of the ward committees and representatives for the constituency level convention were elected unanimously across the country. The election had to be held only in a few wards, indicating that the factionalism in NC has not reached its lower committees. Again, in many wards, youths as young as 22-year-old were elected ward committee chair.

However, the ward level convention has become uncertain in some districts from where the leaders vying for the post of the party president have to be elected. Even in Dadeldhura, the home district of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, the convention is yet to be held. After the ward level, the municipal level convention will be held on Saturday. Meanwhile, more leaders have announced their candidacy for the key posts of the central committee. While Bimalendra Nidhi, Kiran Gurung and Gopalman Shrestha have announced their candidacy for the post of the party president, youth leader Gagan Thapa has announced his candidacy for the post of general secretary.

Besides Thapa, spokesperson Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Pradeep Paudel are also in the race for the post of general secretary.

With Thapa, Sharma and Paudel announcing their candidacy, the party is likely to have a youth general secretary this time.

However, it is still uncertain who will lead the party for the next four years. Although the current party president is said to be the strongest candidate, the candidacy of two of his close aides -- Nidhi and Shrestha — have shaken his base in his strongholds, and if the rival Paudel camp manages to have a single candidate, for example, Dr Shekhar Koirala, Deuba is likely to face defeat. But it is unlikely that the Paudel faction will have a single candidate for the top posts from among Ram Chandra Paudel, Dr Shekhar Koirala, Dr Sashank Koirala and Prakash Man Singh.