The issue of transformation in Nepali Congress (NC) has again been raised after the grand old party’s loss in the by-election in Chitwan-2 and Tanahun-1.
The issue of transformation and hand over of the reins to the next generation was raised even during the 14th General Convention held in December 2021 and the election for parliamentary party leader held on December 21, 2022. But Sher Bahadur Deuba was elected both the party president and the parliamentary party leader.
NC got to field its candidates in Tanahun-1 and Chitwan-2 as part of the electoral alliance in the by-election held on April 23 but the party lost in both the constituencies to the candidates from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by Rabi Lamichhane.
NC’s Govinda Bhattarai lost to Swarnim Wagle, who quit NC just before the by-election citing humiliation by Deuba and his wife Arzu and joined RSP, in Tanahun-1 that became vacant after Ram Chandra Paudel of NC was elected president of the country.
Similarly, Lamichhane secured a landslide win defeating Jeet Narayan Shrestha in Chitwan-2.
“There are public debates and analysis as to what the message given to Nepali Congress by the by-election results is, and how the party should take that message,” NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa said. “I feel that this interest and concerns about politics will further help in cleaning up politics and the campaign of transformation of Nepali Congress.”
He added that the party should do honest introspection incorporating the recommendations, thoughts and analysis given from different sectors of the society, and stressed that revival of the party was not possible by avoiding or hiding the problems in the party.
Thapa, who has long been campaigning for transforming, cleaning up and strengthening NC, said efforts to that regard have not yielded results. “I have seriously assimilated the advice given by the Nepali people and friends in the party—who have complained that results have not been seen despite the efforts—to play a result-oriented role with additional efforts.”
He stressed that he was clear that he should be ready to take the harshest of decisions for success of the campaign for transformation of NC.
Another General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma also said that the by-election gave the message of transformation to the party. “The party that led to change the time (sic) of the country should change itself in accordance to the changing times,” Sharma stated.
He added that he and party colleagues would come together with new campaign and style.
