Kathmandu, October 13
Basana Thapa, chief whip of the Nepali Congress parliamentary party, has been elected to the party’s Central Working Committee under the women’s open category, securing the highest number of votes with 5,193.
Thapa had previously been elected a central committee member at the party’s special general convention held in December.
Congress lawmaker Urmila Thapaliya and Nima Giri, a member of the Lumbini Province Assembly, have also been elected central committee members under the women’s open category. According to the Election Committee, Thapaliya received 3,970 votes, while Giri secured 3,906.
Former lawmaker Kusumdevi Thapa and former National Assembly member Dhanakumari Thapa also won seats in the category, receiving 3,250 and 3,231 votes, respectively.
Binita Khadka, who has been linked to a fraud case involving Israel, was also elected, along with Anita Devkota, Laxmi Pandey, Srijana Adhikari and Muna Bhusal.
According to the Election Committee, Khadka received 2,866 votes, Devkota 2,853 and Pandey 2,700. Adhikari secured 2,658 votes, while Bhusal received 2,514.
Other candidates elected under the category include Chini Pokharel (Chinu), with 2,420 votes; Kalpana Tiwari, with 2,363; Rita Thapa Magar, with 2,308; Ganga Dahal, with 2,298; and Uma Dahal, with 2,215.
A total of 36 candidates contested for central committee seats under the women’s open category. Under the Nepali Congress statute, 15 candidates are to be elected from this category.
Former lawmaker Kantika Sejuwal finished in 16th place with 2,155 votes, falling short of election. She had left the Deuba faction and returned to the party’s mainstream on September 18.
