Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to deny active membership to dissident party leaders filing nomination against official party candidates in election.
The party has written to all the district committees ahead of the 14th general convention and instructed to not issue active membership to the dissident candidates, and those who proposed and supported their candidacy. All the local committees including the ward committees have been informed about the circular.
The circular issued by central member and coordinator of the central probe committee for active membership Ramesh Lekhak has also instructed to not issue active membership to those who have faced disciplinary action.
Former joint general secretary Govinda Raj Joshi, who has been accused of engineering defeat of Senior Leader Ram Chandra Paudel will not get active membership after implementation of the new rule. Joshi was expelled from the party for five years revoking his general membership by the disciplinary committee led by Bhishma Raj Angdembe three years ago.
Similarly, former state minister and mahasamiti member from Kailali Pushkar Nath Ojha was also expelled for five years on charge of lack of cooperation for election of Arzoo Rana Deuba.
The party has taken disciplinary action against 279 including Joshi and Ojha since the last general convention for their role in the last election.
Only active members can vote and contest party elections that start from the ward level culminating in the election of party president at the center through the general convention.
NC says it has more than 800,000 active members and aims to expand that to one million before the 14th general convention.
Seven district committees in Saptari, Siraha, Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa, and Banke, have yet to finish integration works less than a month ahead of the district election.
Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar had quit NC on February 1, 2008 and joined the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum before the first Constituent Assembly election. Gachchhadar-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Democratic) had unified with NC on October 16, 2017. Integration of the party's cadres into NC have yet to be completed.
