Butwal, October 8
Seven people from Lumbini Province are competing for various central office-bearer posts at the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention. Three are contesting for party vice-president: Deepak Giri of Dang, Chandra Kant Bhandari of Gulmi, and Binod Chaudhary of Nawalparasi. Chaudhary has filed his candidacy for the inclusive vice-president post.
Kishor Singh Rathaur of Bardiya registered his candidacy for president but withdrew on Wednesday, saying his candidacy could appear to lack support for Gagan Thapa.
Pushpa Bhusal of Arghakhanchi was elected unopposed as women’s vice-president. She had become vice-president at the party’s special general convention. A former deputy speaker, she was in the Sher Bahadur Deuba camp before the special convention.
For general secretary, Amar Singh Pun of Rolpa is in the race. For joint general secretary, Abhishek Pratap Shah of Kapilvastu, Yogendra Chaudhary of Dang, and Devendra Raj Kandel of Nawalparasi are contesting.
Pun, chosen by consensus as a convention delegate from Rolpa, is currently the party’s president of Lumbini Province. He is one of the leaders who have openly and consistently stood outside the Deuba camp. Pun said he is contesting for general secretary with the aim of reaching the party’s central leadership.
Yogendra Chaudhary, who is contesting for joint general secretary, became joint general secretary at the special general convention. Abhishek Pratap Shah and Devendra Raj Kandel have announced their candidacies for joint general secretary for the first time. Shah is also a member of the House of Representatives. Kandel was previously a central member.
A total of 1,009 convention delegates from Lumbini Province are taking part as voters.
Who is contesting for central member?
Dozens from Lumbini Province are competing for central member posts.
In the provincial open category, nine candidates are contesting three posts: Amar Prasad Bhandari, Kamal Prasad Bhusal, Kamal Kishor Ghimire, Dhanendra Karki, Prachanda Bikram Neupane, Pradip Raj Sharma, Motilal Bhandari, Bishnu Prasad Khanal, and Hira Bahadur Khatri.
Karki and Neupane are former provincial ministers. Hira Khatri is a former mayor of Devdaha Municipality.
For the one central member post reserved for young women under 35, five candidates are in the race: Kamala Hamal, Babita Shahi, Sanchita Gyawali, Sushma Pandey, and Susmita Dhungana.
For the one open central member post for youth under 35, seven candidates are competing: Anukul Regmi, Anurag Khadka, Kumar Acharya, Dipendra Regmi, Rakesh Yadav, Shambhu Regmi, and Sudan Kumar Wali.
Wali of Rolpa is an economist and a former member of the provincial planning commission.
Candidates in the central member open category also include Lumbini provincial lawmakers Nima Giri and Jamuna Dhakal; Prof. Govinda Raj Pokharel; former minister Janma jaya Timilsena; former state minister for finance Bharat Kumar Shah; former provincial lawmaker Nirmala Khetri; Amrit Gyawali; Himal Dutta Shrestha; Butwal Mayor Khelraj Pandey; Bijay Gurung; Sushil Gurung; Ganga Shahi; and Rita Sen Oli.
