Kathmandu, September 8:

The wrangling in the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (Anandidevi) touched a new high today with party president Anandidevi Singh recommending party general secretary Shyam Sunder Gupta to replace Rajendra Mahato, Minister of Industry and Supplies, from the ca binet, while other leaders claiming majority in the party registering no-confidence motion against Anandidevi today.

Anandidevi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala tomorrow for the oath-taking programme of Gupta. Mahato, vice-president of the party, has been called back from the Koirala-led cabinet for “working against the party”. Gupta, who hails from Rupendehi is a former MP.

An emergency meeting of the national execution committee participated by a “majority” of the party central members, held today at the party office, Mid Baneswor, however, moved a no-confidence motion against the party president Anandidevi for trying to “disrupt” the scheduled party’s special convention to be held in Birgunj on September 13-15. They have also

accused the party leadership for “working against the party’s reputation”, party spokesperson Sarita Giri told this daily.

Anandidevi, however, has announced postponement of the party convention citing “special circumstances.”

Earlier on August 9, she had withdrawn a letter sent to PM Koirala with a similar decision

to remove Mahato from the cabinet. The party has been undergoing serious differences following the merger between the Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) and the NSP (Anandidevi) on June 8. The party saw a split in 2003.

The intra-party row even rocked the parliament after minister Mahato accused party lawmakers Hridayesh Tripathi and Bharat Bimal Yadav for “kidnapping” Anandidevi in a television interview.

Minister Mahato and other central leaders are scheduled to announce their future

move through a press conference tomorrow in Kathmandu, Giri added.