KATHMANDU: There is now little doubt that Pashupati Murarka, officiating president of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), will take the helm of the largest private sector umbrella body tomorrow.

Murarka taking the lead of FNCCI has become a certainty after the two other contenders — Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar and Bhawani Rana — withdrew their candidacy for the post of FNCCI president from the election slated for tomorrow.

Organising a press meet on Tuesday, Rajkarnikar had announced his willingness to withdraw his candidacy and support Murarka if Rana also did the same. After Rana formally withdrew her candidacy yesterday, Rajkarnikar also formally pulled out his application today.

So, Murarka is the sole contender for the top post of FNCCI and will be announced as the unanimous president tomorrow. It also means that the post of senior vice president, which Murarka held before he took on the role of officiating chief of FNCCI, will be vacant.

Murarka had been appointed as the officiating president after its past president Pradeep Jung Pandey was arrested in a three-decade old corruption charge on March 18.

As per the FNCCI statute, election of the senior vice president should be done within five days of the president’s election. The senior vice president is elected from the executive committee, though the rest of the posts are filled through direct election.

According to FNCCI sources, there is general consensus among FNCCI members to select Bhawani Rana for the post of senior vice president. Leaders of the largest private sector umbrella body have claimed that rifts and groupism that occurred during the past elections will be bridged after the selection of a unanimous chief at FNCCI.