One thing is worth mentioning here – in the 13th session, Deuba had told the current Vice-Chairman Vimlendra Nidhi – ‘Collaborate me this time, I will cooperate with you for the post of chairman in the coming term.’ But when that opportunity came, Deuba himself was the candidate for chairman
Lilanath Gautam, (From Himalini Hindi September issue 2021) | Finally, the formal process of the 14th convention of the ruling party Nepali Congress has begun. The party leadership was facing criticism for almost two years due to the frequent change of the date of the general convention. The Congress has taken the decision to hold a central convention in Kathmandu in the upcoming Marga shirsha (from 9th to 13th ) under similar circumstances. According to the decision, the formal process of the General Assembly has also started from the 18th of Bhadra. According to the changed work table, the Congress has started the election from Bhadra 18 Gate, Wada Committee, now the election process of Central Working Committee is going to start from Margashirsha 9 Gate through Palika, Constituency, District and State Assembly respectively.
Congress is going to get a new leadership from the convention. It is also a democratic process for selecting the party leadership. The general convention is going to be held in the name of ‘new leadership’ selection, but it is also estimated that most of the leaders who are likely to come under the leadership are going to be old, it is certain.
Well-wishers and critics of the Congress party believe that the democratic values-belief in the Congress is getting weaker and the party is being communized. Especially since the local elections held four years ago, the Congress leadership is facing this allegation. At that time, this allegation has been made against him because of the electoral coordination done with the erstwhile Maoist Centre. Even after that, the Congress has cooperated with the Communist Party several times. The government that has been formed today under the leadership of Nepali Congress has also been possible only with the co-operation of the Communist Party. That is why critics believe that this has weakened the Congress, not only the party, but also the democratic governance system. Those who have such beliefs are only analysts outside Congress, it is not so. Many leaders and workers associated with the Congress themselves also do this kind of analysis. For those people, this convention can be an opportunity for party revival.
For the last five years, Sher Bahadur Deuba is leading the party as the party chairman, who is also the current Prime Minister. He is accused of making the party undemocratic and communization. Those making such allegations say that Deuba has done the work of weakening the Congress in open democratic exercise. Despite such allegations, for the first time in the Nepali Congress through the 14th General Assembly, the exercise of inclusive leadership selection according to the amended legislation is being done. It is claimed that the Nepali Congress is going to be the first party to ensure inclusive representation in all the structure of the party according to the demographic structure.
There are many people making predictions about the likely face of the party leadership for the upcoming term. Whatever may be called ‘leadership selection through electoral process’ and ‘democratic exercise’, but one thing is true that the influence of individualistic thinking and culture is more within the Congress. It is less likely to change. There are many leaders within the Congress who say – ‘After the founder leaders VP Koirala and Krishnaprasad Bhattarai, all the presidents have weakened the internal democracy in the Congress. There are more allegations. Congressmen say – ‘To say that Congress is a democratic party, but there is no democracy within the Congress, the characters who practice such practices are Koirala and Deuva.’ There is a lot of truth in such allegations. Both these characters are the ones who take most of the decisions on behalf of the party themselves.
Especially Koirala led the party with a single decision (monopoly) . Deuba was the person who strongly opposed the Koirala trend. That’s why once he did the party split, later the party was unified again. When Deuba became the chairman of the unified party, he went a step ahead of Koirala as well. Deuba has created history in the question of extending his tenure ignoring the party legislation. The active membership dispute has been continued for a long time with the basic objective to get re-elected in the party leadership, it is not a democratic rite.
By the way, this culture (sanskar) is only in the Congress, it is not so. Here the President of the Maoist Center Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ can be taken as an example, who has been under the original leadership of the party for more than 35 years. Looks like he wants to be the party president for life. so-called ‘Madheshwadi Party leader’ who opened a new party by calling himself a revolutionary and trans-formative force last time or the leaders who formed the party in the name of different caste identities, the condition of everyone is similar, who do not want to leave the party leadership for the rest of their life. . Even after dividing the party, they want to make the party president. Madhav Kumar Nepal, who formed the Nepal Communist Party (Samajwadi) and became the party president, is the last example. This is the feudal and conservative character of all the leaders. The Congress, which calls itself a democratic party, and most of its leaders are also not free from this character. Which is also a sign of danger to democracy. It is natural to see its direct effect in the 14th session also. An example of this is the active membership distribution and renewal dispute. That is why Congressmen, who believe in strong democratic practice, are expecting the 14th Congress to be an example of the democratic transformation of the Congress.
Yes, Congress is going to choose its leadership through the democratic process itself. Whoever is elected to the post of party central president, he will provide leadership to the Congress for the next 5 years. Today more than a dozen leaders are appearing for the post of party president, out of which about half a dozen leaders are likely to come in direct elections.
Who are the leaders in the race for party president
In the 14th session, there are about a dozen leaders who are contending for the post of party president. Among them, the discussion of 6 leaders is more. It is said that the candidature of 4 leaders for the post of chairman is almost certain. The first contender is the present Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba. He has clearly told the leaders near him – ‘Once again I want to become the party president, for this you need your cooperation.’ He has started his election campaign in an undeclared form since the last 5th century. Deuba has claimed that if he becomes the party chairman, he will make the Congress party the first party in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
One thing is worth mentioning here – in the 13th session, Deuba had told the current Vice-Chairman Vimlendra Nidhi – ‘Collaborate me this time, I will cooperate with you for the post of chairman in the coming term.’ But when that opportunity came, Deuba himself was the chairman. Going to become and saying once again support me only. That is why, being angry with Deuba, the Deputy Chairman Nidhi has started the election campaign by first announcing the candidature for the post of Chairman. For this an office has also been set up at New Baneshwar. Nidhiji believes that this time he is the main contender for the post of chairman from Deuba group.
On the opposite side is Ramchandra Poudel, who had earlier lost to Sher Bahadur Deuva. Poudel has also said – I want to be the party chairman only once. His assessment is that if Nidhiji does not support Deuva again, I will definitely become the Chairman. But in the Poudel group itself, the leaders who support him are few. That is, the number of leaders expected from his group in the post of chairman is more. There are leaders of Poudel group like Prakashman Singh, Shashank Koirala, Shekhar Koirala, who themselves want to give candidature for the chairmanship. Also accompanied is Krishnaprasad Sitola, who is looking forward to cooperation from the Poudel group. Sitola has also predicted that Singh and Koirala will be on his side if Poudel ji gives his candidature for the chairmanship and his electoral victory is certain. Citaula claims that it is not possible in the first phase, in the second or third phase, he can be elected to the chairman. Nidhi and Poudel are doing similar valuations. (This is translation from Hindi)
