CPN-UML Vice-chairman Bhim Rawal has announced candidacy for party chair in the upcoming general convention.
Rawal has announced his candidacy organizing a press conference in Kathmandu on Sunday at a time when almost all the UML leaders have been saying that there is no alternative to repeating KP Sharma Oli as party chairman in the 10th general convention to be held from November 26-28 in Chitwan.
Oli himself has also been saying that the party should be run on consensus as it is being attacked from all the sides.
Rawal organized the press conference at Reporter's Club claiming that he was not allowed to make the announcement from the party office at Thapathali citing preparation works for the upcoming general convention.
Rawal was elected vice-chairman in the last general convention from the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction and has long been a vehement critic of Oli. He opted to remain in the party and did not join CPN (Unified Socialist) formed by Nepal. But his relation with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli has again become strained in recent times.
The then warring factions of UML had signed the 10-point deal for party unity on July 11. Ten second generation leaders including Bhim Rawal, Ashta Laxmi Shakya, Surendra Pandey, Ghanashyam Bhusal and others didn't join the new party registered by Madhav Kumar Nepal after UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli expressed commitment to implement the deal and return the party to the state before unification with CPN (Maoist Center).
But Oli has renounced the 10-point deal and bluntly told the dissident leaders to not talk about it pointing that the deal was signed to keep Nepal in the party implying it has no relevance now that Nepal has formed another party.
Rawal has resigned from the task force formed to implement the 10-point deal after that pointing that problems arose in its implementation due to UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli.
