Deuba camp's bid for fair share in NC

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and his supporters are preparing to hold a gathering soon to press NC President Sushil Koirala for a “fair share” in the parliamentary board, departments and committees.

“District presidents of the party, Constituent Assembly members and former and incumbent Central Working Committee (CWC) members from the Deuba camp will be invited at the gathering apart from dissident members from the Koirala group,” said a CWC member close to Deuba. He said the gathering aims to press the party President to run the party by taking all sides into confidence.

Besides the Deuba camp, some influential leaders from his own group, including Arjun Narsingh KC, Sujata Koirala, KB Gurung and Gagan Thapa, have opposed the party chief’s recent proposal to nominate Ram Chandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula as vice president and general secretary. Even after five days of discussion, Koirala’s proposal could not muster a majority support at the recent CWC meeting. The CWC meet was put off last week to make fresh attempts for consensus. Meanwhile, party President Koirala continued consultations with his supporters and leaders of the Deuba camp today. Koirala called on Gopal Man Shrestha, proposed candidate for the post of vice president from the Deuba camp, at the latter’s residence and urged him to support his proposed nominations.

Sources said Shrestha, however, suggested that he should withdraw the proposal and nominate either a vice president or a general secretary from the Deuba camp.

Shrestha is learnt to have requested Koirala to nominate him vice president saying he had a made a long and honest contribution to the party.