NCP directs party bodies to submit poll report

Kathmandu, December 4

A meeting of the central secretariat of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) today decided to direct respective party committees to submit reports on recently concluded by-elections within the next three days.

The meeting, chaired by NCP Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal for the first time after he was assigned executive role in the party also decided to hold another secretariat meeting on December 9 to introspect the party’s performance in the polls on the basis of the reports submitted, according to NCP Spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

Although the NCP gained in terms of the number of seats won (from 28 in last general elections to 31 this time), it suffered shock defeats in some traditional communist bastions.

In Dharan Sub-metropolitan City, the NC made inroads into the communist bastion after almost six decades by bagging the mayoral seat.

Tilak Rai of the NC defeated the NCP’s Prakash Rai with a margin of 2,795 votes. NC’s Krishna Lal Bhandel won provincial assembly seat from Bhaktapur 1(a) defeating NCP’s DP Dhakal. In Chitwan, the NC was able to snatch away some of the wards in the election constituency of NCP Co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Some of the NCP leaders attributed the loss to internal rifts, hinting at betrayal from party leaders.

Others said overconfidence, lax preparation and organisational weaknesses resulted in the drubbing. Most leaders acknowledged that the results were eye-opener for the ruling party as the NC was able to

establish itself as a formidable opposition.

Against this backdrop, the NCP secretariat meeting held at party headquarters, Dhumbarahi, ruled out any such betrayal, but concluded that introspection was needed to ascertain reasons for unfavourable results in Bhaktapur, Dharan and other places.

“The next secretariat meeting will officially review the election results,” said Shrestha, adding that the next meeting will also discuss and take decisions on remaining tasks of party unification. “The meeting will also formulate its work plan for the days to come.”

Amid some NCP leaders strongly criticising the leadership for their reluctance to hold meetings of standing and the central committees, Shrestha said the next secretariat meeting would take a decision on the matter.

Although the party’s statute has provisioned meetings of standing and the central committees regularly, it’s been around a year since these two bodies met last.

Leaders including Bhim Rawal have been publicly criticising the top leadership for negating these executive party bodies.

Today’s secretariat meeting also expressed happiness over improving health condition of Prime Minister and NCP Co-chair KP Sharma Oli, who is recovering after appendicitis surgery at Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Centre, Maharajgunj. The meeting also wished his speedy recovery.

Shrestha said Oli was recovering at a rapid pace and was also undergoing kidney dialysis. Shrestha said necessary decisions related to kidney transplant would be taken in consultation with doctors only after the prime minister fully recovered from surgery.

Besides Dahal, present at today’s meeting were Shrestha, senior leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bam Dev Gautam, Minister of Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, and NCP General Secretary Bishnu Paudel.

While PM Oli is at the hospital, senior leader Jhalanath Khanal and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Ishwor Pokhrel are in Ilam to attend programmes of the party.