Chief of the organization department of Nepali Congress (NC) Gopal Man Shrestha has announced candidacy for the party president in the upcoming general convention.
He made the announcement at a gathering of leaders and cadres from his home district Syangja at the party office on Wednesday. "I had prepared to contest for president from the beginning. I have come to Syangja and announced it," Shrestha told Setopati. "I have support from friends across the country."
Shrestha is considered close to NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and had helped Deuba after he split NC in the past working as acting president of the Deuba-led party when Deuba was put in jail by the then king Gyanendra. He become vice-president to Girija Prasad Koirala after the party rejoined NC.
Formal announcement by Shrestha to contest for the top post after another Deuba confidant and Vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi recently opened a contact office to help his campaign for the top post has made the reelection bid of Deuba shaky.
Shrestah and Nidhi are preparing to fight for the top post after Deuba gathered leaders from his faction and told them that he will seek reelection.
Shrestha claims that he is contesting for the top post with support of Deuba adding Deuba will ultimately support him. He opined that Deuba should not again try to become president and instead serve the people as prime minister (PM). "I have helped Deuba when he was in problem. He will now support me. I will be party president and he PM," he stated citing example of India where PM Narendra Modi is focused solely on the government and another person runs the party.
He added that Deuba, who currently leads the coalition government, can be allowed to become PM even after the next general election. He reminded how he made Deuba the unanimous president of the NC (Democratic) and also helped him in the subsequent general conventions of NC.
He added that even Nidhi will support him. "He will also support me after Deuba supports me."
