Pun, Yadav to contest for Vice-president

Nepal Pariwar Dal decided to withdraw its candidate and support Pun; while Attahar Kamal Musalman withdrew his candidacy and decided to support Yadav

Kathmandu, October 30

Unified CPN-Maoist standing committee member and former commander of the People’s Liberation Army Nanda Kishor Pun and Nepali Congress leader Amiya Kumar Yadav today filed their candidacies for the post of vice-president.

After independent lawmaker Attahar Kamal Musalman and Nepal Pariwar Dal’s Dayaram Kandel withdrew their candidacies, Pun and Yadav have been left in the fray.

Senior UML leader Jhalanath Khanal proposed Pun, 50, for the post of vice-president and Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal Chief Whip Dilnath Giri and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Democratic leader Yogendra Chaudhary seconded Khanal’s proposal.

Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had reached Lhotse Hall of the International Convention Centre in Baneshwor to nominate Pun for election.

Following the meeting with UCPN-M Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepal Pariwar Dal decided to withdraw its candidate and support Pun while Attahar Kamal Musalman withdrew his candidacy and decided to support Nepali Congress candidate Yadav.

NC Chief Whip Chinkaji Shrestha proposed Yadav, 69, and the party’s whip Ishwori Neupane seconded

the proposal.

According to the Parliament Secretariat, the election for vice-president has been scheduled from 11:00am to 2:00pm tomorrow. The election result will be announced in the Parliament session at 5:00pm.

During the meeting of High Level Political Coordination Committee led by UCPN-M Chair Dahal yesterday, some UML leaders and fringe parties had urged the committee to consider either a Madhesi or Tharu candidate for the post of vice-president instead of Pun. However, the UCPN-M standing committee meeting held this morning reiterated that Pun could not be replaced by any other leader at the last moment.

After UCPN-M leaders took a strong stand for Pun, the meeting of the HLPCC held today endorsed Pun’s name. Sources claimed that Dahal had threatened to rethink about the coalition if Pun was not accepted for vice-president.

Even UML leader Madhav Nepal was unhappy with Pun’s candidacy as he was for having a vice-president from either the Madhesi or Tharu community.

UCPN-M standing committee decided that the candidate from Madhesi or Tharu community was theoretically good, but the party could not make changes in its decision at the last moment.

Amiya Kumar yadav

  • Born to late Bindeswor Lal Yadav and late Sohagbati Yadav on July 4 1946 at Kajara of Jijhol VDC, Siraha district
  • Graduate in Economics from India
  • Involved in politics from age of 17
  • Began his political journey after meeting B P Koirala
  • Active in the people’s movement of 1990
  • Became the first elected president of Nepali Congress Siraha District Committee in 1996.
  • Member of the National Assembly for five years since 1999
  • Played a very active role for democracy during the second people’s movement of 2006
  • Was detained by police 19 times
  • Forced to remain out of country for one month.
  • Elected Member of Parliament from Proportional Representation system from Siraha in the second Constituent Assembly election

Nanda Kishor Pun

  • Real name Nanda Bahadur Pun
  • Standing Committee member of Unified CPN-Maoist.
  • Born to Ramsur and late Mansara on October 23, 1965 at Rangsi VDC of Rolpa district
  • Chief commander of then CPN-Maoist People’s Liberation Army
  • Joined Revolutionary Student wing
  • Member of CPN-Mashal in 1990; full-time member of CPN-Unity Centre Mashal in 1992
  • Became regional bureau member of CPN-Maoist in 1998
  • Central member in 2001
  • Politburo member in 2004
  • Appointed chief of PLA in 2008
  • Refused to go to India for treatment when both his kidneys failed in 2012, was successfully treated in Nepal
  • Standing Committee member in 2013
  • Taught at Lower Secondary School of Rangsi for nine years
  • Never took any office of benefit even when his party led two governments