Rukum, February 7

While the results of the regional convention for the upcoming 13th General Convention are pouring in from across the country, Nepali Congress regional convention in Rukum has become uncertain.

Efforts were made on February 6 and 7 to elect the regional committee and general convention representatives. However, the party has failed to hold election till today.

Though the election was slated to kick off from 9:00am today, the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction accused the party establishment of rigging the election process and took to the street boycotting the election.

Party cadres and leaders loyal to Deuba shouted slogans against election officer Pranin Lamsal and district President Man Bahadur Nepali for siding with the establishment side.

As per the election schedule, nomination was supposed to open all day yesterday and the final namelist was to be published by 6:00pm yesterday.

District party president candidate Krishna Bahadur Roka from the Deuba faction said the candidate for Constituency No 2 for president Gorakh Bahadur Chand had not withdrawn his candidacy till the time of publishing the final list of candidates.

Roka accused former NC lawmaker Gopalji Jung Shah, district president Man Bahadur Nepali and election officer Lamsal of withdrawing Chand’s candidacy for the regional president.

The Deuba faction alleged that the establishment side had changed the representatives from the village, delaying the election process, and using local goons to engage in hooliganism.

Nanda Bahadur Bista a Deuba loyalist, said that they would not allow the election to move ahead because of the suspicious role of election officer Lamsal. A large number of police personnel have been deployed to avert possible clashes between the two factions.

The NC establishment has not aired comment on the Deuba side’s allegation. Both sides are working to bag the party’s regional leadership in the convention.