KATHMANDU, MARCH 28
While the central working committee meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress was on at the central party office in Sanepa to discuss strengthening the party for the upcoming elections, hundreds of cadres representing Nepal Student Union and Tarun Dal, the student wing and youth wing of the party organised a protest against party Chairman and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today.
Students and youth leaders of Shekhar Koirala's faction have been protesting for the past few days against Deuba's autocratic ways in the party.
The agitating student leaders have openly started coming forward against the party leadership after Deuba failed to woo them during the nomination of leaders of sister organisations and central committee members.
The anger turned more vocal when Deuba recently nominated Bidwan Gurung as president of Tarun Dal and Dujang Sherpa as president of Nepal Student Union. The cadres had long been dissatisfied with Deuba's leadership after he did not appoint the party's senior leader Minendra Rijal as the NC's central committee member.
The agitating cadres who demand party's unity and democratic system in the party have been asking Deuba to consult or discuss the nomination of leaders in the party's sister organisation.
Former general secretary of NSU Yubaraj Pandey said it was unfortunate that they were protesting against the party president. "But all we wanted was that the party president follow the internal rules of the party which have mandated a meeting with leaders who had contested the post of chairman in the general convention."
Shekhar Koirala, who contested the post of chairman during the 14th general convention of the NC in mid-December 2021 had garnered 40 per cent of votes in the second round of election as Bimalendra Nidhi's panel and Prakash Man Singh's panel decided to vote for Deuba.
Pandey further clarified that the protest was not intended to bargain for posts, but it was about establishing rule of law in a democratic party.
Sailendra Gaudel, another leader of NSU, said all they wanted was that Deuba become the guardian of the whole party rather than nominate leaders in his favour. He also reminded that Deuba did not secure victory in all panels as majority of top positions in the party was secured by leaders of Shekhar's faction.
A few days ago, Shekhar Koirala's panel had called Tarun Dal and Nepal Student Union leaders to Kathmandu and formed a parallel wing of the party to challenge Deuba's action.
