New leadership takes the helm at FNCCI

On the eve of the new year 2080 BS, the members of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) elected a new leadership that will spearhead the country's apex business body for the next three years. The members had voted for the election for the new leadership (excluding the president) on Wednesday. As per the FNCCI statute, the senior vice president automatically becomes the president for the next term. With Chandra Prasad Dhakal, who got elected as the senior vice president in 2020 becoming the new president, the election of the senior vice president turned into a battle royale. None of the three candidates - Anjan Shrestha, Umesh Lal Shrestha, and Ram Chandra Sanghai who contested for the senior VP post garnered the required 50 percent votes in the first round of voting. Anjan Shrestha got the highest 37.99 percent votes, followed by Umesh Lal Shrestha with 31.51 percent votes and Ram Chandra Sanghai with 30.46 percent votes.

As the first round of voting became inconclusive, the second round was scheduled for 2 pm on Thursday between Anjan Shrestha and Umesh Lal Shrestha. However, the voting was postponed for two hours as a consensus effort to select the senior VP. With Umesh Lal agreeing to let Anjan become the senior VP for the next term, the second round of voting did not take place.

While the senior VP was elected through consensus in the end, the three vice presidents were elected in a cutthroat battle. Sur Krishna Vaidya was elected as vice president of the district/municipal chambers defeating Arun Raj Sumargi and Dinesh Shrestha. Vaidya who was from the Sanghai’s panel received 43 votes while his competitors Sumargi and Shrestha garnered only 37 and 34 votes respectively. Similarly, Jyotsana Shrestha (from Sanghai's panel) was elected as vice president of the associate group. She defeated Bharat Acharya by 65 votes. Hemraj Dhakal of Umesh Lal panel emerged victorious in the election of vice president of the commodities association. Dhakal defeated Manish Lal Pradhan (Anjan's panel) and Sakunta Lal Hirachan (Sanghai’s panel).