Nepali Congress (NC) Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi has again asked President Sher Bahadur Deuba to help him in his bid for the top post in the upcoming general convention.
Nidhi, who has long remained in the Deuba faction and had even left the mother party when the latter split to form NC (Democratic), wants to contest for the top post this time and first informed Deuba about his intention almost a year back and has been asking for Deuba's support to become party president.
Their relation has been strained since Nidhi announced his intention to contest for the top post with Deuba looking to seek another term.
Nidhi reached the prime minister's residence in Baluwatar Tuesday evening to again seek Deuba's help to get elected as NC president. "I will contest for president. I need your help. I am opening a contact office, you should come for inauguration," Nidhi told Deuba.
Nidhi also demanded that PM Deuba should choose ministers based on the principle of inclusion and put his position on the current dispute about active membership in the party, according to Nidhi's secretariat.
Deuba in turn told Nidhi that the new term will be his final term as the party statute prohibits a person from third term as president and sought Nidhi's help assuring him that he will get to succeed Deuba. "The party statute does not allow me to seek another term. Help me this time, I will help you the next time," Deua said.
But Nidhi did not accept that. He claims that Deuba had given words at the time of last general convention to help him get elected president in the next one, and told Deuba that he cannot step back now that he has already made preparations to contest for the top spot.
Deuba is in a difficult situation as Gopal Man Shrestha, also from the Deuba faction like Nidhi, is also staking claim for the top post after Nidhi announced his intention.
Nidhi has also been regularly holding meetings with General secretary Shashank Koirala and former general secretary Prakash Man Singh, both from the opposition camp, to forge an alliance against Deuba in the general convention.
Nidhi, Koirala and Singh are adoringly called princes by the cadres as they are scions of the three famous NC families. Shashank is son of BP Koirala, while Prakash Man and Bimalendra are sons of Ganesh Man Singh and Mahendra Narayan Nidhi respectively.
