Kathmandu, March 25:

The first meeting of the CPN-UML’s eighth central committee today started hearing on the application filed by Kashinath Adhikari on the results of vote counting during the party’s eighth general convention held in Butwal.

Adhikari, a former central committee member, claims that he had polled more votes than Rajendra Shrestha during the eighth general convention that was held on February 16-21.

But the election committee erroneously declared Shrestha as winner of the central committee member. Rajendra Shrestha had reportedly polled less votes than Adhikari.

Adhikari has, in his application registered in the central committee meeting, demanded that the votes be recounted to confirm who emerged as winner in the central committee body from central constituency. Forty-three members were supposed to be elected from the central

constituency.

Party sources said that around 50 central committee members had their names enlisted in the meeting to discuss on Adhikari’s application. The meeting is scheduled to continue for three days and it could be further extended depending upon the agenda set by the party office bearers.

The meeting would also dwell on the appointment of Amrit Kumar Bohara as chief of the party’s central disciplinary commission. Central committee members have flayed the party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal for appointing Bohara as commission chief without following due process of the party statute.

The meeting, however, passed the procedures of conducting the central committee meeting. A press statement issued by the party said the meeting would also review the eighth

general convention, recently-held free students’ union elections as well as formulate strategy for upcoming by-election scheduled for April 10.

Around 20 central committee members had aired their views on the review proposal presented by the party president. The meeting is also expected to appoint Madhav Kumar Nepal or KP Oli as “senior leader” after the party president. But the party statute states that only one person will be chosen as the senior leader. The meeting will also nominate five per cent central committee members and form a 39-member politburo and central secretariat.