Kathmandu, March 9

Industrialist Kishore Pradhan has been elected as the vice-president (district and municipal chapter) of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), which was vacant since almost one year.

Defeating his competitor Nirak KC by 32 votes in the election held today, Pradhan made it to the said post of the umbrella body representing the country’s private sector.

Of 104 total voters, 98 had cast their votes in the election today. While Pradhan secured 65 votes, KC was able to draw only 33.

FNCCI President Bhawani Rana and former president Chandi Raj Dhakal had backed Pradhan in Thursday’s election race. Pradhan was defeated in the senior vice-presidential race during the FNCCI election on April 12 last year.

The post of vice-president (district and municipal chapter) at FNCCI became vacant after the former vice-president Pramod Shrestha filed his candidacy in the first series of local elections against the mandate of the statute of FNCCI.

Consequently, FNCCI had planned to hold election for the post on September 4 as per a provision in the FNCCI statute, which states that any post in FNCCI executive committee will be vacant automatically if the person holding the post is involved in active politics.

FNCCI could not hold the election on planned date after Shrestha filed a case at apex court alleging FNCCI had illegally scrapped his post in the organisation. However, the Supreme Court, on Wednesday, refused to issue an interim order on the writ petition filed by Shrestha, paving way for FNCCI to elect a new vice-president.

Pradhan said that he will utilise his decades-long experience in the industrial sector to strengthen FNCCI and the country’s industrial sector.

The current executive committee of FNCCI under leadership of Rana has Shekhar Golchha as senior vice-president, Umesh Lal Shrestha as vice-president (commodity) and Chandra Prasad Dhakal as vice-president (associates).