NC’s 14th Gen Convention: Voting begins

KATHMANDU, December 13: Voting for selection of new leadership in the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) in the ongoing 14th General Convention of the party has finally begun. 

"Even though the voting was scheduled to begin at 8 AM this morning, it kicked off a bit late," Tej Bahadur Rawal, a member of election committee told Ratopati. 

Of 134 positions, voting will be conducted for 132 posts, following the unopposed election of Ananda Prasad Dhungana and Ramesh Rijal as central member from Province 2 on Sunday. 

According to the statute of the NC, the candidate of the party must garner at least 51 percent of the total votes in order to win the election. If any of the candidates fails to acquire the required number of votes, the re-election will be held among two candidates garnering the most number of votes.

If the re-election is to be conducted, it will also be conducted in the City Hall. 

Kalyan Gurung and Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, Dr Shekhar Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba are vying for the post of party’s President.  

Seven other candidates have filed their candidates for the position of NC vice president. Purna Bahadur Khadka, Mahesh Acharya, Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Sujata Koirala, Dr Chandra Bhandari, Dhanraj Gurung and Divya Shree Pariyar are among the candidates for vice presidential positions. 

The NC delegates from all across the country will elect two vice presidents and general secretaries each. 

Similarly, Dr Minendra Rijal, Gagan Thapa, Bishwo Prakash Sharma, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Raja Ram Karki and Pradeep Poudel are all set to contest for two general secretarial positions. 

As many as twenty candidates filed their nominations for eight positions of joint secretaries-general.