NC provincial conventions: Updates from all seven provinces

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) is holding provincial conventions starting from Thursday. 

The conventions, which are an integral part of the ruling party's 14th General Convention, are all set to elect new leadership in respective provinces for the next five years. 

While some provinces are holding elections for a new executive committee including eight office bearer positions, polls are still uncertain in some provinces. 

Below is the update on the election process in all seven provinces. 

Province 1: 

Elections for a new executive committee are yet to begin in the province as of 1 PM, Saturday. The polls are expected to begin at 8 AM. 

The voting process was delayed as the names of candidates had not been included in the ballot paper. 

For the post of provincial president, Guru Raj Ghimire has filed his candidacy from the rival faction led by Ramchandra Poudel. Ghimire will face a tough challenge by Uddha Thapa, a presidential candidate from the establishment faction led by President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Another faction led by Krishna Sitaula has also formed an alliance with the Deuba faction. 

Province 2 

NC’s province-level convention in Province 2 was postponed on Saturday as well. 

Of the 32 election constituencies in the province, seven [four of Sarlahi and one each of Bara, Saptari, Rautahat districts] are yet to elect the delegates for the convention impacting the provincial convention as well. 

Sarlahi district is yet to conclude ward-level conventions. 

A total of four candidates have so far announced their candidacies for the presidential position. Krishna Yadav from the Deuba faction, Ram Saroj Yadav  [the Bimalendra Nidhi panel] and Ranjit Karn [independent] are in the race for the position of province president. Karna is said to have the support of the party’s senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Shashank Koirala. 

Bagmati Province

Bagmati Province is holding elections for the 91-member executive committee in Hetauda, the provincial capital. 

The establishment faction has fielded Indra Bahadur Baniya as the candidate for the provincial president. Baniya will has been challenged by Jagdish Narsingh KC and Bhimsen Das Pradhan. While KC is close to the Poudel faction, Pradhan belongs to the Sitaula faction. 

Gandaki 

Voting for the new executive committee is underway in Gandaki Province’s capital Pokhara on Saturday afternoon. 

As many as 1,085 delegates from across the province will elect as many as 68-member executive committee including eight office-bearers. 

The establishment panel’s Arjun Prasad Joshi and Poudel faction’s Shukra Raj Sharma are in the fray for the provincial president. 

Lumbini 

Voting for new leadership in Lumbini Province began later than the scheduled time. 

Elections are being held in Bhairahawa, Rupandehi.

The Deuba panel has fielded Bharat Kumar Shah for the presidential position. Shah is facing a tough challenge by Amar Singh Pun from the rival faction led by senior leader Poudel. While Shah is chairman of federal parliament’s Public Account Committee, Pun served as the party president of Rolpa district. 

Karnali 

Voting for new leadership in Karnali was delayed by an hour and a half and kicked off at 1.30 PM. 

Three panels have been formed for the elections for the new executive committee in the province. 

Lalit Jung Shahi [Deuba faction] Bhupendra Jung Shahi [ Poudel faction] and Motiraj Bam [Nidhi faction] are vying for the president of the ruling party in the province. 

Sudur Paschim

NC’s Sudur Paschim chapter reported commencement of elections at 10 AM, Saturday. 

Two panels --- one led by Bir Bahadur Balayar and the other by Narayan Dutta Mishra --- are in the election race in the province that lies in the far western part of the country. While Balayar is said to be close to party President Deuba, Mishra has the backing of senior leader Poudel.