Factional dispute in main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has again come to the fore with the faction of senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel accusing President Sher Bahadur Deuba of trying to influence the next general convention.
The leaders of Paudel faction, who met at the party's central office in Sanepa on Wednesday, have concluded that Deuba has interfered in distribution of active membership to formation of different departments.
"The meeting doubted the general convention will be fair," Chandra Bhandari, who attended the meeting, told Setopati. "We have decided to talk with President Deuba to make everything from distribution of active membership to formation of different departments fair."
He argued that appointments cannot be made in a way that influences general convention. "The departments that should have been formed within six months of general convention cannot be formed six months before the next general convention."
The faction has claimed that Deuba has violated the code of conduct by forming party departments after announcement of general convention. "We have handed over the responsibility of talking with Deuba on all the issues to senior leader Paudel," he added. "He will soon meet president and talk. He will also hand over a letter."
The faction has demanded that the party's activities should be in line with the party statute.
The leaders also discussed the recent disciplinary action against three leaders and induction of Sunil Thapa and others in the party. The faction is unhappy after Deuba announced during the welcome program that Thapa will be made joint general secretary. "Leaders coming to our party from others is welcome. But what position to give to them should be decided by the central committee."
The party has decided to hold the 14th general convention from February 19-22, 2021 in Kathmandu but the schedule for election at the party's lower levels has been affected due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Distribution and renewal of active membership is going on in many districts now. The lower levels of the party will have to send the list of active members to the center where any dispute about active membership is settled.
Election at the lower levels can only be started once the list of active members is finalized. The party had around 380,000 active members in the last general convention.
The election at the local level of the party will start from December 21.
