Deuba stakes claim to NC’s top post

Chitwan, January 23

Nepali Congress senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba has argued that his candidacy for the post of the party presidency is imperative to keep the party alive.

Announcing his desire to fight for the party’s top post during the upcoming general convention at a programme here today, the NC leader said, “It was during the previous general convention the incumbent party president proclaimed that his candidacy was only for a term and won the election.

I don’t know on what grounds is he now saying that he wants to fight for the second time in office,” Deuba said, adding, “If he does this, it certainly won’t send a good message.” The NC leader was here today to launch a signature campaign against the government’s decision to strike out the name of late leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai from the name of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Mass Communication Foundation.

The collected signatures will be handed over to the prime minister tomorrow. Further, Deuba pledged to hold the general convention of all party- aligned sister organisations, including Tarun Dal and Nepal Student Union, within six months if he were elected as the party president.

Also, he identified himself as the right candidate for the party president’s post.

“Long after two splinter factions united, there still exists factionalism in the party. I’m the right person who can bridge the deep division in the party as the leader who had once led one of the splinter factions of the party,” he reasoned.

On a different note, he called on the government to be sensitive to the demands of the public.