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Nepali Congress Gandaki has urged the province chief not to appoint the chief minister unconstitutionally.

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Surendra Pandey made such a request to the province chief after CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Khagraj Adhikari staked a claim for the post of chief minister.

He said that the process to appoint the chief minister unconstitutionally should be stopped.

With the support of 31 Province Assembly members of CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and one independent, Adhikari submitted the claim for the chief ministerial post to the province chief today.

The Nepali Congress has 27 lawmakers and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has two lawmakers.

The Nepali Congress is holding meetings of its parliamentary board and Central Work Execution Committee today to finalize candidates for the by-elections in Ilam constituency 1 and Bajhang Province Assembly (1) scheduled for April 27.

Information and Publicity Department Chief of the party Min Bahadur Bishwokarma informed that the meetings will be held later this afternoon to finalize candidates for the by-elections from the party.

The meetings will be held under the chairmanship of party President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba at 2 pm.  Initially, the parliamentary board meeting will decide on the candidates and the Central Work Execution Committee will endorse it, he added.

The NC officer bearers, former office bearers and top leaders had held discussions on Monday evening about possible candidates.

The Election Commission has already made public a schedule for the April 27 by-elections as per which parties need to file candidacy by April 6.

A meeting of the Nepali Congress Central Work Execution Committee has been summoned for April 2.

According to NC central office chief secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel, the meeting is scheduled to take place at 2 pm on Tuesday at the private residence of party President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha.

Committee office-bearers and members are directed to attend the meeting.

Nepali Congress, Bagmati Province has directed its Parliamentary Party in the Province Assembly (PA) to vote against Chief Minister Shalikram Jamarkattel.

A meeting of the NC Bagmati Work Execution Committee held today under the chair of NC Bagmati President Indra Bahadur Baniya instructed the entire PA members from the party to vote against the Chief Minister. They have been asked not to stay neutral in the process of vote of confidence for Jamarkattel.

Bagmati CM Jamarkattel is to seek a vote of confidence on April 1, Monday.

NC Parliamentary Party leader for the Province, Bahadur Singh Lama, has been asked to implement the instruction.

Jamarkattel is required to obtain 56 votes for the vote of confidence. The 110-member PA consists of 37 members from the NC, 27 from the CPN-UML, 21 from the Maoist Center, 13 from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, seven from the CPN (Unified Socialist), three from Nepal Workers and Peasants' Party and two from the Hamro Nepali Party.

The main opposition party Nepali Congress has called for forming a parliamentary committee to investigate the linking of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Rabi Lamichhane in the cooperatives’ fraud.

Nepali Congress leader Sanjaya Kumar Gautam said, "This is also the issue of ethics. The government should be serious on this (the linking of DPM Lamichhane's name in the cooperative fraud). A parliamentary probe committee should be formed in this connection."

He contended that a doubt has arisen regarding how justice can be done on this topic based on the Prime Minister's replies in Parliament and the Police Chief's response on this topic in the parliamentary committee meeting.

Stating that the main opposition party Nepali Congress is well aware of the fact that the Parliament should not be held hostage over certain demands, he called upon the government also to be serious regarding its responsibilities.

Lawmaker Gautam demanded that the Parliament should also press the government for addressing the livelihood issues of the people. He reiterated that the main opposition party would continue raising this issue until the parliamentary investigation committee was formed.

"The then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha had responded in the Parliament itself that an investigation was on in this connection. But now the investigation is stopped," he said, adding that appointing Lamichhane as the Home Minister is a conflict of interest.

Lawmakers draw govt's attention to address farmers' problems

Meanwhile, speaking in the Urgent Time in the meeting of the HoR today, lawmakers voiced various contemporary issues, including the increasing number of road accidents and the farmers facing a plethora of problems.

Lawmaker Hitraj Pandey expressed concern over the increasing number of road accidents in recent days and urged the government to take effective measures to reduce road fatalities, referring to the car accident that took place on Saturday near Muglin.

Eknath Dhakal also drew the government's attention on this topic while Dhruba Bahadur Pradhan urged the government to resolve problems faced by the citizens while accessing various public services. He also called on the government to provide relief to the farmers after assessing the damage caused by the windstorm and hailstone.

Lawmaker Ashok Kumar Chaudhary raised the issue of the maize cultivated by farmers in the Tarai districts producing cobs without grains due to the 'flawed' hybrid seeds. He demanded action against the dealers selling such seeds and providing compensation to the farmers.

Chaudhary stressed on the urgent need of taking steps to mitigate the impact of climate change on agriculture and the problem of wild animals consuming and damaging the crops.

Dr Amaresh Kumar Singh said a question has arisen regarding the adjudication of justice by the judiciary. He alleged that the judges were appointed on the power-sharing basis among the parties and the judges also gave verdicts in an unfair way.

He called for an investigation on the decisions of the judiciary and formed a parliamentary committee to assess the conduct of the judges. He also through the Parliament called attention of the judiciary to what he called 'the contamination' of the judiciary. Lawmaker Singh complained that only few of the complaints filed with the Judicial Council are investigated into.

Nepali Congress (NC) is demanding an investigation against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane for his alleged involvement in the misappropriation of cooperative funds. For the same reason, the main opposition party is pushing to form a probe panel, a move opposed by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli. Certainly, there are valid questions regarding Lamichhane’s involvement in the misuse of cooperative funds.

 However, the way the NC is acting after the formation of the new coalition is unusual. The party has just come out of a government that failed to deliver on service delivery and economic fronts. Home Minister Lamichhane has taken some positive steps, including implementing the report submitted by the committee formed to investigate gold smuggling. Similarly, he has pledged to minimize political influence in the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force. He should be allowed to work freely without pressure from parties. If he fails to fulfill his pledges, questions should be raised, but for some period, it would not be justifiable to obstruct him.

In a parliamentary system, the opposition party should allow the government to work for at least 100 days without obstructions. Obviously, the opposition party should work to hold the government accountable and raise people's concerns and plights, but that should be done constructively. Past experiences show that opposition parties often resort to obstructing Parliament to press the government to fulfill their demands. However, Parliament cannot engage in its key task of the law-making process if it is obstructed for a long time. As a grand old party and the largest in Parliament, the NC should not resort to obstructing Parliament. Instead, it should find innovative ways to raise its voices within Parliament.

The performance of parliament has been dismal over the past few years due to intra-party disputes. There is a long list of crucial bills in the Parliament Secretariat that have long awaited parliamentary endorsement. Some of them are very important and related to the party's international image and prestige, on which all parties should come together. The new coalition has come up with new commitments and visions, so the NC and other opposition parties should wait some time to see how the new government addresses the problems the country is facing today. The NC should think seriously about its role as an opposition party.

Just one year after joining the ruling coalition, the Nepali Congress (NC) has found itself unexpectedly consigned to the opposition benches. This is the second time in 12 months that Nepal’s oldest democratic party has been forced to play the role of the opposition after another dramatic shakeup of the ruling alliance.

The latest reversal of fortunes came on March 5 when Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal surprised the NC by announcing a new power-sharing deal with the CPN-UML and, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP). NC, which was heading nine ministries, including the influential defense, finance and foreign affairs, in the coalition government didn’t even get a wind of Dahal’s plan.

Stung by what it sees as betrayal and unethical defection by Dahal, NC has come out swinging in its new role as the main opposition force. NC, which has remained in power for most of the past three years barring a three-month stint after the 2022 election, is becoming aggressive in the House. “As the largest party in the opposition now, NC has to play an effective role which is natural and expected of it given its position,” said political analyst Geja Sharma Wagle. “NC must adopt an aggressive stance in parliament. Its current confrontational approach is understandable,” he added. Wagle argued that it is the opposition's duty to hold the government accountable in the House and raise issues concerning the public interest. The new power equation, which represents an unimaginable political debacle for NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, has forced the NC to make its presence effective in parliament. “This is what NC should be doing in the parliament now. However, there are signs that we are overreacting a bit and have gone overboard at times,” NC Central Working Committee member Nain Singh Mahar said. “The confrontational posture seems driven by the anguish of being unexpectedly ousted from the government.”

Aggression against Lamichhane

NC looks to have gone all out against RSP Chair and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane. The party has demanded a parliamentary probe into allegations linking the new home minister Lamichhane to a cooperative fraud case by disrupting House proceedings.

Ramesh Lekhak, the chief whip of the Nepali Congress, has demanded a parliamentary probe into the allegations against Lamichhane. “There have been instances in the past when parliamentary probe committees were formed after questions were raised against ministers. A parliamentary inquiry committee must be formed to look into the home minister’s case as well,” Lekhak said in the meeting of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.

NC is skeptical about an impartial investigation since the person facing scrutiny is heading the home ministry. “Billions of rupees belonging to thousands of depositors have been embezzled. In the Surya Darshan cooperative scandal in Pokhara alone, Rs 1.35bn of 19,000 depositors was misappropriated. Some 100 people have siphoned the funds by opening fake accounts. One of those who opened such fake accounts was Lamichhane himself,” NC General Secretary Gagan Thapa said. “When the home minister himself is implicated, who will conduct a fair probe?”

The main opposition party has raised doubts over the integrity of the investigation process with the primary accused holding charge of the home ministry that oversees police. It has been disrupting House proceedings regularly. Analysts, however, say the frequent obstruction of parliament may be going overboard. “NC has become overly reactive on the Lamichhane issue. Raising questions is valid but getting bogged down at the personal level and obstructing House proceedings is unbecoming of such an experienced parliamentary party,” Wagle said. “NC should play an effective and constructive role. It is not good to obstruct House proceedings in the name of becoming effective.”

Political analyst Arun Subedi said that NC is now adopting tactics that opposition parties have traditionally employed when out of power. “From raking up controversies around ministers to disrupting parliamentary proceedings, NC is resorting to similar tactics that have served opposition camps well in the past,” he added.

Way ahead for NC

There are already voices within NC calling for rapprochement with the UML to forge a new alliance and remove Dahal in a bid to curb instability. NC, which brushed aside proposals from UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli for a power-sharing deal, now finds itself looking towards the UML as a potential partner. NC leaders have started arguing that the situation of three different prime ministers having to seek a vote of confidence within just one year after elections has directly impacted provincial governments as well. Some NC leaders are also apprehensive that if the party actively pursues a new ruling coalition, it could further exacerbate political instability. “NC should not get entangled in efforts to form yet another government. Instead of power games, it needs to go to the people now,” said NC leader Mahar. “Whenever NC is in opposition, it has received public support. This is an opportunity to connect with the citizens, strengthen the organization, and effectively raise people’s issues both in parliament and on the streets.”

Sources say the NC leadership, which tried to stop Dahal from passing the floor test, is reportedly preparing a strategy to explore an alternative to the Dahal government before the upcoming budget. Subedi argues that the possibility of a government change always remains due to the number games in the House of Representatives. “The numbers in this parliament are such that the issue of government formation and dissolution will remain alive as long as this legislature exists,” he said. “It is up to the NC to decide whether to accept Dahal’s leadership, move ahead by uniting democratic forces or form a government by joining hands with UML,” he added. 

Analysts, however, caution that NC should refrain from actively pursuing yet another ruling coalition at this stage as it could prolong instability. “If NC engages in toppling the government like other parties, it would send a message that it is no different,” Subedi said. “NC must focus on strengthening parliamentary practices. Since only one bill has been passed over the past year, NC also needs to play a role in enhancing the effectiveness of the House. It is also an opportunity for the party to reconnect with the people as well.” 

For decades, the internal political landscape of Nepal has been ruined by fragility and political discord. Despite the nation’s yearning for peace, prosperity and democratic governance, political leaders have consistently fallen short in addressing these fundamental aspirations. Among the political entities in Nepal, the Nepali Congress stands as one of the oldest and ostensibly the most committed to principles of liberal democracy, the rule of law, human rights and freedom. However, it has, regrettably, failed to live up to the expectations of the Nepali populace, who have looked to it for leadership in navigating the country toward a brighter future.

Internal power struggles, personal egos and political polarization have plagued Nepali politics since the democratic movement of the 1990s. Despite being the largest political party, the Nepali Congress has struggled to earn the trust of opposition factions, notably the CPN-UML. Conversely, the CPN-UML has often prioritized power dynamics over the nation-building agenda, further aggravating the challenges facing Nepali democracy. The Nepali Congress must acknowledge its shortcomings and learn from past mistakes to effectively address the evolving needs and challenges confronting the Nepalis. The Nepali Congress must shift its focus toward forging democratic alliances, articulating a comprehensive long-term economic vision and enhancing governance structures.

The ethos of the Nepali Congress, as envisioned by its founder Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, emphasizes the importance of political ideology in guiding its actions. However, despite being identified as a center-left political party that promotes multiparty democracy, term-based elections, human rights, a free economy, and the rule of law, the Nepali Congress has struggled to consolidate democratic forces and collaborate effectively for national development. Over the past two decades, the Nepali Congress has engaged in alliances with various political entities, including radical Maoists, in its pursuit of governance. Yet, these alliances have often been short-lived, driven by the opportunistic pursuit of power rather than a genuine commitment to the nation’s welfare.

The recent political maneuvers of leaders like Dahal highlight the need for the Nepali Congress to recognize and respond to such instability and opportunism effectively. The Nepali Congress needs to strengthen its internal unity and construct a robust democratic alliance ahead of the forthcoming elections. This requires a clear and coherent communication of the party’s liberal political beliefs to the Nepali people, emphasizing the value of freedom and the obligation of a government that respects individual choices. The Nepali Congress should lead the effort to establish a larger ideological political party by bringing together smaller parties like the National Democratic Party, Madhesi Dals and the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Left-leaning political groups should undertake similar initiatives. This would offer the Nepalis a choice between two major political entities, fostering a stronger and more stable government.

From an economic standpoint, the Nepali Congress has championed a free-market approach, leading to some degree of economic growth. Nevertheless, political instability and socialist rhetoric have significantly hindered Nepal’s economic progress. Furthermore, socialist principles entrenched in Nepal’s constitution have deterred domestic and foreign investors from freely investing in the country. To tackle these systemic and ideological challenges, the Nepali Congress must unveil a pragmatic and sustainable economic agenda that aligns with the aspirations of the Nepali people. This entails avoiding unrealistic pledges and false hopes peddled by competing left-leaning political parties.

Moreover, the Nepali Congress must spearhead discussions on the necessity of a streamlined and efficient government structure. While decentralization, including federalism, is integral to accommodating Nepal’s diverse landscape, the proliferation of bureaucracy poses a significant financial burden on the nation. This is an opportune moment for the Nepali Congress to advocate for a more effective and lean government structure, capable of delivering essential services to the people without undue complexity or financial strain.

Nepali Congress must prioritize ideological clarity, realistic economic policies and efficient governance structures to regain the trust and confidence of the Nepali people. By learning from past mistakes and embracing a vision centered on the nation's well-being, the Nepali Congress can chart a course toward a more prosperous and democratic future for Nepal. Rebuilding trust among the Nepali people is essential for the party to acknowledge the significance of accountability and transparency in governance. Upholding these principles not only enhances public confidence but also promotes good governance and sustainable development. The Nepali Congress’ experiences offer valuable guidance for navigating the complexities of Nepali politics and governance, offering lessons pertinent not only to the party but also to Nepal's broader political arena.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s sole responsibility and do not reflect the views of any organization with which he is professionally affiliated

The main opposition Nepali Congress has called for an impartial investigation into cases of cooperative fraud.

When a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR) commenced, NC lawmakers stood up from their seats, prompting Speaker Devraj Ghimire to grant time to NC general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa to express his views.

Thapa highlighted allegations against incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Rabi Lamichhane, in cooperative disputes, questioning his suitability to remain in office amid these controversies.

According to Thapa, Minister Lamichhane is allegedly embroiled in disputes related to Surya Darshan and Suprim Cooperatives, casting doubt on his eligibility for the ministerial position until these issues are resolved. Thapa underlined the need for an impartial investigation, stating, "It is uncertain whether he is guilty or not. He will undergo an investigation. However, he faces allegations of cooperative misappropriation. The question arises whether the accused individual can ensure an impartial investigation."

Thapa stressed on the need of creating an environment for cooperative victims to reclaim their deposits, calling on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to make efforts towards establishing such an atmosphere.

He said while the NC wished for a smooth operation of the House, they awaited a prompt response from the Prime Minister regarding its concerns.

After listening to Thapa, the Speaker expressed hope that the government would pay attention to the matter, acknowledging its significance.

The main opposition party, Nepali Congress (NC), has issued a whip to its lawmakers to vote against the confidence motion to be presented in the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. 

NC Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak, through a note today, issued the directive to the party's lawmakers to mandatorily be physically present in the meeting of the House of Representatives convening at 11 am on March 13, and to vote against the PM's proposal seeking the vote of confidence.

Prime Minister Dahal is scheduled to present a proposal in the meeting of the House of Representatives slated for 11 am on March 13, seeking a vote of confidence.  

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was fully confident that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would hand over the power to him in 2025. So he was treading cautiously to keep the current coalition intact, extra careful not to upset Dahal. 

In Deuba’s own words, he refused to meet the opposition leader, KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML, despite the latter’s repeated requests. He even turned down Oli’s premiership offer, because he didn’t want to betray Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center). But little did Deuba know that Oli’s UML had also been making overtures to Prime Minister Dahal to break the Maoist-NC coalition and form a left alliance. 

While it is true that the relationship between Dahal and Deuba was fraught with disagreements and misunderstandings, Deuba never thought they were serious enough to break the alliance.
According to NC leaders, the current situation resonates with the incident of 2017 when the Maoist party while being in the NC-led government forged an electoral alliance with the UML. Consequently, the NC faced a historic drubbing in the general elections, while the Maoists and UML went on to unify to become the largest communist party that the country had ever seen. The unified communist party, however, split to their old forms following a power tussle between Dahal and Oli.  

Now the two communist parties are together again and the Nepali Congress, which emerged as the largest political party through the 2022 parliamentary elections, has been relegated to the opposition’s role. Deuba’s party has also been stripped of power in the provinces. The NC has been in this same situation before. Soon after the 2022 general elections, the NC had taken a firm stance of forming a government under its leadership. This led the Maoists to switch sides and make an alliance with the UML to form a government. But once again, there was a power tussle between Dahal and Oli, and the Maoist-UML coalition fell through. 

The NC returned to power after agreeing to Dahal’s condition that he should be allowed to lead the government for two years. As per the agreement, Deuba would lead the coalition government for the final two years of the five-year term, and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) would helm the government for one year after the end of Dahal’s term.  

With everything that had occurred between the Maoists and UML, with all the bad blood between Dahal and Oli, there was no reason for Deuba to suspect that something was amiss. How wrong was he! 

In Monday’s office-bearers meeting, Deuba called Dahal a betrayer for secretly aligning with the UML without any solid reason. While Deuba and his supporters have taken it as a major loss to the NC, leaders like Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa are of the view that it will be beneficial to the party in the long-run. 

Koirala said break-up and formation of alliances is a normal affair in politics, even though Prime Minister Dahal abandoned the NC in an abrupt and abnormal manner. 

He added that the NC should be careful about forging such an alliance in the future.

For a long time, Koirala was against the NC-Maoist alliance. The party’s general secretary duo Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma also held contradictory views regarding the alliance with the Maoist party. Even though the Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel was elected the President with the support of the Maoists, Thapa, Sharma, Koirala and other NC leaders were concerned that the alliance with the Maoist party was compromising the party’s ideology and eroding the support base. 

In the recently concluded Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, Thapa and his team took a firm position that the party should make an official stance that it will not forge any electoral alliance in the next general elections. So the party endorsed the proposal to not form a pre-poll alliance while also committing to give continuity to the NC-Maoist coalition until the next elections. 

It was a reason enough for Prime Minister Dahal to sever ties with the NC. Dahal was also unhappy with the performance of the NC ministers. Some leaders say the prime minister was also being pressured by the NC not to investigate high-profile corruption scandals involving politicians and businesspersons.

The NC was allegedly putting pressure on Prime Minister Dahal to remove Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, claiming that Shrestha was targeting NC leaders by opening investigations into past corruption cases. 
The NC is currently discussing their future course of action. So far it is not clear whether the party will remain in opposition and prepare for the 2027 general elections, or start making efforts to dismantle the Maoist-UML coalition all over again. 

Youth leaders of the party are of the view that the party should remain in the opposition and focus on party building, but the decision rests upon Deuba, who holds a major sway in the party. Koirala said the NC should learn a lesson from this episode, but it is really Deuba who should.  

The current coalition between the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Center) has collapsed.

With the collapse of the coalition, it is almost certain that a new equation will be formed between the CPN-UML and the Maoist Center.

CPN-UML Deputy General Secretary Pradeep Gyawali said that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal will reshuffle the Cabinet and form a new one today itself.

“The Prime Minister will reshuffle the Cabinet and form a new one today itself if he wants,” Gyawali said.

For quite some time now, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been vocal about his intentions to revamp his Cabinet, aiming to oust underperforming ministers and those embroiled in controversies. Specifically, Dahal seeks to remove Health Minister Mohan Basnet, who has been mired in various controversies, and Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Prakash Jwala, whose negligence resulted in the deaths of two youths in Balkumari. However, coalition leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist)have exerted pressure on Dahal to refrain from making such decisions. The main opposition, CPN-UML, is also urging Dahal to dismiss ministers entangled in controversies.

The prime minister is apparently dissatisfied with the performances of Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat and Foreign Minister NP Saud, both from the Deuba camp of the Nepali Congress. But Deuba is reluctant to recall them due to the intra-party dynamics. The Dahal-led government is facing widespread criticism for its failure to improve the country’s economy, create jobs, curb youth migration abroad, and enhance service delivery. Acknowledging these shortcomings, Dahal repeatedly asserts that he will bring about changes through Cabinet reshuffling, but faces resistance from his coalition partners.

Another point of contention between the primary coalition partners, Congress and Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center), is their respective positions on the candidate for the chairman of the National Assembly (NA). With the current chairman, who is from the main opposition UML, retiring this month, both parties are vying for the position. The NC has already communicated to the Maoist party that its senior leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who won the NA election last month, should be elected as the new chair, a position that Prime Minister Dahal had initially supported. But of late, Dahal’s party has taken a hard stance on the issue due to a couple of reasons. Firstly, the NC voters did not vote for the Maoist candidates in the Koshi provinces during the NA election, and secondly, the recently concluded NC’s Mahasamiti meeting portrayed Maoist insurgency in a negative light.

Prime Minister Dahal is under pressure from his own party not to relinquish the claim for the NA chair. Although the Maoist party has decided to field its own candidate, leaders say Dahal will most likely support Sitaula for the NA chair. 

Maoist leaders fear that the party will be left without any representatives in the Constitutional Council if the NA leadership is handed over to the NC.

After the NA election last month, the Maoists, which is the third-largest party in the House of Representatives, emerged as the largest party in the National Assembly. In the recently concluded party’s Standing Committee, there were strong voices advocating for the party to claim the chairmanship of the NA, which led to the formal decision on the same issue. 

The Maoist decision may also have been partly influenced by the NC’s Mahasamiti meeting, where the majority of representatives opposed the electoral alliance with the Maoist party, though the outcomes of the meeting did not create any obstacles for the party to forge an electoral alliance in the next local and national elections.

A senior Maoist leader says, “We should not expect that one alliance lasts forever; there could be changes.”

Though the current coalition may not be in any significant danger, the gap between the two coalition partners is widening by the day. It appears that both Deuba and Dahal are committed to the continuation of the current coalition, but there is growing unease within both NC and Maoist parties. Both Dahal and Deuba are extra cautious that the current differences between the two parties should not create problems in the coalition.

They sit together even if some minor issues arise to maintain an environment of trust. For instance, when Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa took a firm stance in the party’s Mahasamiti meeting to endorse the proposal that the party would not forge a pre-poll alliance, Deuba and his close aide Purna Bahadur Khadka personally assured Dahal that the coalition will remain intact. Inside the NC, senior leader Shekhar Koirala continuously asserts that he is working to change the coalition, while Thapa has taken a middle ground that the party should remain committed to the current coalition but should not forge an electoral alliance in the next general elections. 

Meanwhile, Deuba and leaders close to him argue that the party should take a pragmatic approach because if the party leaves the government, the UML will come to the rescue of the Dahal-led government, ultimately paving the way for the left alliance. And, in case the left alliance is formed again, the party could face an electoral defeat like it did in the 2017 elections.

However, the NC rank and file are not happy with the alliance, as reflected in the party’s Mahasamiti meeting where they stated that the alliance with the Maoists has eroded the party’s ideology and support base. Inside the NC, there are growing voices that the party is suffering due to the non-performance of the NC as a key coalition. 

A NC senior leader says, “On the one hand, our cadres at the local level have not felt the party’s presence in the government, on the other hand, the Dahal-led government is becoming unpopular, but people are pointing fingers at us because Dahal remains in power.”

Similarly, inside the Maoist party, there are growing demands that the alliance with NC should be reviewed as vote transfer has emerged as a big problem. Though Dahal seems committed to continuing with the current coalition, senior leaders inside the party believe that it would be natural to form a left alliance. For now, it seems that both Deuba and Dahal, who have a strong command in the party, would manage the differences, but it is uncertain whether they will be able to do so for a long time.

Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has presented a proposal that his party should not form the pre-election alliance.

In the ongoing policy conclave of the party’s Mahasamiti meeting- at Godawari, General-Secretary Thapa floated the proposal that the NC should shun political alliance with any party in the periodic election in future.

"The Mahasamiti meeting's resolution is to contest the upcoming periodic election on its own," he viewed, pressing for creating an enabling environment where the voters could cast their vote to Nepali Congress.

In the 38-page organizational proposal, Thapa called for making NC more energetic and dynamic and increase public's confidence in the party and re-establish itself as a party which could alone secure two-thirds majority.

He, however, said that the NC is aware of demonstrating political honesty as per commitments made with the public and agreement with coalition partners during the election.

According to him, good-governance should be the main mantra for NC-led governments at all three levels with effective public service delivery. 

He further asserted that the NC should take ownership of the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic, which was promulgated under leadership of the party itself, and it should protect and implement the national charter with high level of confidence.

Furthermore, the General Secretary proposed party determination to unite the entire party at every level and make it further active in line with the party's aspiration- 'Prosperous Nepal: Honoured Nepali'.

He, in the proposal, highlighted the need for the party to prioritize the issues and concerns of public and communities and make the party a center of excellence through debate, dialogues, training and discussion and adopt policy of zero-tolerance against corruption in all forms and make the party a catalyst for social transformation.

The meeting, party's main policy-making body, has over 2,200 representatives taking part in the four-day event.

The closed session of the Mahasamiti meeting of the Nepali Congress is starting today.

The Mahasamiti meeting ended with the opening session on Monday and the closed session will start from 9 am today, said NC Central Office Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel. Five different reports are going to be submitted for discussion in the meeting.

The reports includes the policy proposal by Party Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka, organizational proposal by General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, contemporary political proposal by General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma, proposal regarding the economic situation, prospects and future direction by the party's spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat while coordinator of the audit committee Shyam Kumar Ghimire is going to submit the audit report proposal, according to coordinator of the information, communication and publicity department of the party, Min Bahadur Bishwakarma.

The proposals presented in the meeting will be discussed and passed by the Mahasamiti meeting.

The meeting which started from Monday at Sunrise Conference Center in Godavari, Lalitpur will continue till February 22.

More than 2,000 delegates from across the country are participating in the meeting.

The Mahasamiti meeting of Nepali Congress started on Monday after a six-year hiatus. Although the party’s top decision-making body, which is supposed to meet every two years, last held its meeting in 2018, which came hot on the heels of Congress’ historic electoral drubbing in general elections. 

In these past six years, the party has re-emerged as the largest party, thanks to the electoral alliance with the CPN (Maoist Center) and a few other fringe parties in the 2022 general elections. However, the grand old party is still not out of the woods yet. The party’s popularity is diminishing, intra-party rift is becoming increasingly tense, and the organizational structure is in shambles.  

The electoral alliance in 2022 elections catapulted NC back to the top spot, but many in the party are of the view that they should think about contesting the next general elections without any alliance.     

NC General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa and his team is pressing the leadership of Sher Bahadur Deuba to pass a resolution that the party will not forge a pre-poll alliance. However, Deuba and his supporters are not keen about the idea. 

In a direct reference to the Maoist party, in his political document, Thapa states: “The Mahasamiti meeting should make a resolution that the party would not forge a pre-election alliance, and will not create an environment in which the cadres will be forced to vote for other parties.”

The document further states though the prospects of a single party securing a majority are slim under the current electoral system, there can be a post-election alliance to deliver a government on the basis of common minimum program. The grassroots level cadres, according to Thapa, feel that pre-poll alliance is eroding the party’s ideology. 

“Between the 2017 and 2022 elections, our popular votes have shrunken by five percent. This is because NC cadres and supporters did not get the chance to vote for their party,” Thapa told the Mahasamiti meeting. 

Regarding the existing alliance with Maoist, Thapa said that the party should stick to it for the next four years, but come the next general elections, the Nepali Congress should fight alone. 

The faction led by senior leader Shekhar Koirala has a similar position on electoral alliance. 

“When I visit outside Kathmandu, our cadres often ask me, ‘When will we contest the election as a single party?’ Because of the electoral alliance, our vote share has decreased to 27 percent from 34\35 percent,” he said.

The reading of Thapa and Koirala regarding the pre-election alliance is the same, but their ambition to become the next president of the NC prevents them from joining hands to mount pressure on the current leadership. 

NC President Deuba and his supporters do not subscribe to Thapa and Koirala’s views. They believe that the alliance with Maoists helped the Congress become the largest party, and that this partnership could be continued in the future. 

The NC leadership takes the alliance with the Maoists as a compulsion and strategy to keep its main rival, the CPN-UML, out of power. But the local level leaders are not satisfied with the alliance. This was evident when the party members disregarded the NC-Maoist alliance and voted for the UML candidate in the National Assembly elections of Koshi province. The incident has created an environment of distrust between the NC and the Maoist party. 

NC leader Nain Singh Mahar says local level cadres are dead set against pre-poll alliance, mainly with the Maoist party. 

Given the animosity between two parties during the insurgency era, the NC cadres do not want to vote for the Maoist party. During the armed rebellion launched by the Maoists, the rebel force killed scores of NC cadres and confiscated their properties. To this day, the supporters of NC see the Maoists as their enemy. Even when the Maoists decided to join mainstream politics, scores of NC leaders and cadres were against the peace process initiated by former Congress leader Girija Prasad Koirala.

In the 2022 general elections, the NC forged an electoral alliance with the Maoists to defeat the UML. Soon after the elections, the Maoist chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, whose party polled behind the UML in third position, urged the NC to support his prime ministerial bid.

When the NC rejected Dahal’s bid, the Maoist leader went on to join forces with the UML to become prime minister. This led to a bizarre scenario where the NC, despite winning the most number of seats in the House of Representatives, was consigned to the opposition aisle. Deuba’s leadership was heavily criticized at the time. Questions were also raised about alliance politics, particularly when two parties with opposing ideologies come together. 

The Deuba leadership managed to break the Maoist-UML alliance and reform another government under Dahal, but the debate over electoral alliance did not leave the NC. Deuba and his supporters may not want to pass the resolution rejecting the pre-poll alliance, as it could create friction within the current coalition. But this does not mean that the pressure is not off from Deuba. 

If the NC Mahasamiti meeting endorses the resolution, it will surely create a rift in the NC-Maoist coalition. The next general elections are still four years away, and if NC passes such a proposal, there is a high chance that the Maoists will once again join forces with the UML. 

It’s clear that Deuba doesn’t want to scupper his chance to become prime minister as per the deal reached with the Maoist chairman and current prime minister, Dahal. Deuba will try his best not to get the Thapa-proposed resolution passed from the Mahasamiti meeting. 

Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka, a leader close to Deuba, in his political document, states that the election alliance has become a compulsion due to the current electoral system. 

“We are forging the electoral alliance to avoid the risks of political instability because under the current system, no party secures the majority numbers required to form a government.” 

Another General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has taken a middle path stating that it would be too early to decide about the electoral alliance, as the election is four years away.  He nevertheless agrees that alliance politics is damaging the party's reputation among the supporters.

Frustration is also growing among the Congress cadres and supporters because the current coalition government has failed to deliver. Although the NC dominates in all three tiers of government, the party has not taken any notable initiatives to ensure good governance and development. 

According to Thapa, there is not proper coordination and communication between the party and government, a major challenge that all governments have been facing after the restoration of democracy in 1990.  

As the decision of the ongoing Mahasamiti meeting of the NC could impact the national politics, the Maoist and the UML will be closely following the development.