Kathmandu, May 19:

The Nepali Congress (Democratic) is less likely to settle for anything less than “complete” unification whereby each and every party worker of both the parties feel his interests have been taken care of.

This was evident today following “reactivation” of the unification process by NC president Girija Prasad Koirala and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

The claims concerning unification have been substantiated by hectic meeting between Koirala and Nepali Congress (Democratic) president Sher Bahadur Deuba too.

Deuba has been insisting that unification of the two parties cannot be possible until the “workers at the grassroots are taken care of.”

But his counterpart in the NC has been suggesting merger of the central leadership, while the lower level cadres are left to compete for their positions in the party at the General Convention.

“We cannot settle for unification which will culminate in the elimination of party workers following a certain formula. No, never. The only way out is complete unification,” said spokesman for the Nepali Congress (Democratic), Dr Minendra Rijal, while reacting on the unification proposal floated by the NC leadership.

He resented a scenario whereby as many as 1,500 delegates could face the elimination if the parties are united following a formula that has it that the number of delegates to the general convention remains unchanged.

Given what the NC (D) leadership is insisting upon, it appears that the united party will have over 3,000 delegates, up from just around 1,500 currently.

Dr Rijal, who is considered a close confidante of Deuba, has billed the scenario as a “compulsion.”

Meanwhile, Dr Shekhar Koirala, who is close to NC president Koirala, concurred with Dr Rijal on the issue of striking a “complete” unification rather than the one which culminates in the elimination of many.

“I go with Dr Rijal. Girijababu is really serious on unification.

Talks have taken place a number of times. The bottomline is the parties will come together very soon,” Dr Koirala said while speaking at the Reporters’ Club Nepal.

Two other leaders Dr Narayan Khadka and Sharat Singh Bhandari, both considered close to Bhattarai, however, expressed the view that none should hold the party workers hostage forever citing problems with the evolved unification formula.

“Let us be sensitive to the unification,” said Dr Khadka.

Bhandari suggested that “leaders should rise above attachment for party positions” indicating

that Deuba should give up the “claim on senior vice-president of the united party.”