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The Nepali Congress has decided to field Dambar Bahadur Khadka in Ilam-2 for the by-election to be held on April 27.

A Central Work Execution Committee meeting held at party President Sher Bahadur Deuba's residence in Budhanilkantha on Thursday decided to field Khadka in Ilam-2 for the by-election, Publicity Department Chief Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said.

Similarly, the meeting has decided to field Abhisekh Bahadur Singh in Bajhang, he informed.

Singh is the son of late Congress lawmaker Prithvi Bahadur Singh.

The by-election is going to be held in Bajhang after Singh, the Law Minister of Sudurpaschim Province, passed away on June 20.

Ilam's candidate Khadka had lost to CPN-UML candidate Subash Chandra Nembang in the election held in 2022.

Nepali Congress has demanded formation of a parliamentary committee to investigate against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane in the cooperative fraud.

Speaking at a meeting of the House of Representatives, lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada accused the government of being scared of forming a parliamentary committee.

He objected that the government, which could not form a parliamentary committee, had mentioned in its Common Minimum Program of forming various commissions.

“We heard the Common Minimum Program of the government. It has been mentioned that various commissions will be formed. What kind of commission will the government form when it expresses its reluctance to form a parliamentary committee of cooperative fraud,” he questioned.

He claimed that the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government has become unsuccessful in every sector.

The main opposition Nepali Congress has demanded formation of an investigation committee from within the Parliament itself for impartially looking into the charges of cooperative fraud leveled against Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

The Nepali Congress, in the Parliament, has been calling for the resignation of the Home Minister.

Responding to the allegations on Lamichhane in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expressed the commitment to take action against him if the investigation proved Lamichhane as the culprit.

According to the PM, appointing Lamichhane as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister would not constitute a conflict of interest when the investigation on the complaints filed by the victims of the Pokhara-based Surya Darshan Cooperatives has already been concluded.

The NC has expressed its reservation on the Prime Minister's argument that there was no adequate evidence and basis for removing Home Minister Lamichhane from his post.

In the meeting today, Nepali Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak contended that there is enough evidence that Home Minister Lamichhane is directly involved in the cooperative swindling case, claiming that loans have been found issued illegally by the cooperative in contravention of the provision in the Cooperative Act disallowing loans to the non-members.

"The Honorable Prime Minister said that there is not enough evidence, but we say there is. Let us create an environment for a fair investigation into this case. We call for the formation of an investigation committee in the Parliament itself to probe this case," the NC Chief Whip reiterated.

Referring to the instances in the past in which the government ministers have resigned from their post when questions were raised on their morality, Lekhak demanded that Home Minister Lamichhane too should resign on moral grounds and cooperate in the investigation.

Nepali Congress has demanded resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane.

Speaking at the Parliament meeting today, lawmaker Pradeep Paudel said that Lamichhane should resign on moral grounds as questions have been raised against him.

“He should not have been the Home Minister with questions on him. The Prime Minister should not have appointed a person with questions as the Home Minister. People have been cheated in 31, 000 cooperatives. How can the victims’ problems be solved when the person under investigation is appointed as the head of the investigation department,” he questioned.

Saying that the Congress has been constantly raising questions in the Parliament, he alleged that the Prime Minister has been ignoring to answer them.

“Instead of facing the questions raised by the Congress for the past few days, he has been running away from them. The Prime Minister's double standard has been seen on this issue,” he said.

Leader Paudel said that the Congress will keep on raising questions until the Prime Minister gives satisfactory answers on the questions raised against the Home Minister.

Home Minister Lamichhane is accused of misappropriating the deposits of a cooperative.

In the Parliament session on Thursday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal presented a list of factors that led him to break the alliance with the Nepali Congress, giving continuity to the blame-game between the Congress and the CPN (Maoist Center). According to Dahal, though cadres of his party, the CPN (Maoist Center), fully supported NC candidates in elections, the level of support from NC toward Maoist candidates was far less. 

Our candidate from Koshi province got defeated in National Assembly elections as NC betrayed, he said. Another reason, according to PM Dahal, is the outcome of a recent Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, which censored the pre-poll alliance. He also questioned NC’s commitment to the Constitution, pointing that some NC leaders had spoken in favor of a Hindu state during the Mahasamiti meeting. 

Dahal objected to what he called a ‘negative portrayal’ of the Maoist insurgency in NC’s official documents and insufficient support from the ruling coalition partner for a smooth functioning of the government under his leadership. On its part, NC has accused Dahal of unilaterally breaking the ruling alliance without citing any substantial reason. 

Sharing decisions taken at the NC’s parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, Nepali Congress chief whip Ramesh Lekhak accused the Maoist Center of breaking the ruling coalition, though the Congress had always remained committed to it. 

Lekhak recalled that Congress had formed alliances with various parties for the protection of the constitution and consolidation of democracy, and contested elections accordingly, hinting at the possibility of such alliance in the coming days. 

The meeting held under NC president and parliamentary party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba discussed the evolving political scenario and decided to withdraw support given to Maoist Chair Dahal during the formation of the erstwhile government. 

Speaking in the Parliament, Lekhak said Dahal was betraying political parties repeatedly, in a pointer to stressed relations between the erstwhile coalition partners after the formation of a new ruling dispensation.

Nepali Congress has decided to withdraw its support to the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government.

A meeting of the Central Work Execution Committee meeting held in Budhanilkantha on Tuesday decided to withdraw support extended to the government, Vice-President Dhanraj Gurung said.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had ditched his key coalition partner, Nepali Congress, to form a new alliance with the main opposition, CPN-UML.

Now, Prime Minister Dahal has to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days.

Three ministers of the Nepali Congress in the Karnali Province government have resigned from their posts. 

Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning, Bed Raj Singh, Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, Krishna Bahadur BC, and Minister for Social Development, Khadga Bahadur Pokharel, jointly tendered their resignation before Chief Minister Raj Kumar Sharma today. 

The three ministers had organized a press meet before tendering their resignation.

On the occasion, Minister Singh said they resigned from their posts due to the country's changed context and ease the reconstitution of the provincial government.

The three ministers also made public achievements during their term.

They had served as the minister of the provincial government for 10 months and 15 days.

In a dramatic turn of events, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has ditched his key coalition partner, Nepali Congress, to form a new alliance with the main opposition, CPN-UML. According to Maoist leaders, though the breakdown in the alliance seems sudden, there was a series of misunderstandings with the NC that led to the decision.

One of the primary reasons, they say, is the recently held Mahasamiti meeting of the NC where the party’s general secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, and scores of other leaders passed a proposal stating that the NC will not forge any pre-poll alliance. It was a clear reference to the potential partnership with the Maoist party, whose political ideology is diametrically opposite with that of the NC. Similarly, a political document presented by NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka at the Mahasamiti meeting had portrayed the Maoist insurgency in a negative light which miffed PM Dahal. 

One senior Maoist leader said considering the constant friction encountered with the Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Dahal reached the conclusion that the alliance cannot sustain for long and started working to revive the alliance with the UML. Besides the UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party have also agreed to enter the new alliance.     

The senior Maoist leader said that Prime Minister Dahal was in favor of continuing the Maoist-NC coalition as long as the NC was willing to forge an electoral alliance in the next general elections. While NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba seemed somewhat lenient regarding the Maoist’s condition, the NC second-rung leaders were averse to joining forces with the Maoist party ahead of the next elections.

Inside the Maoists too, many leaders were raising their voice for reviving the left alliance. 

NC leader and Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said while there were some disagreements with the Maoists, including the decision taken by the Mahasamiti meeting and the issue of Cabinet reshuffle, the NC had not anticipated that Prime Minister Dahal would go on to dissolve the coalition.

Another bone of contention between the Maoist party and NC was picking the National Assembly (NA) chairperson candidate. When the elections for 19 NA seats were held in January, the two parties had agreed to field NC’s Krishna Prasad Sitaula as one of their common candidates from Koshi province. The plan was to make Sitaula an NA member and then field him again as the NA chairperson candidate to replace the incumbent Ganesh Prasad Timilsina of the UML, whose term ends this month.    

Sitaula was elected to the NA with the Maoists backing, but the candidates from the Maoist party did not win the election. Dahal’s party later concluded that the NC did not vote for the Maoist candidates. Shortly after the NA election results, Maoist leaders including Barsha Man Pun publicly announced that the party would review its alliance with the NC. The Mahasamiti meeting of the NC further reinforced the Maoist suspicion that the alliance was unfruitful.

In the government, meanwhile, there was a continuous tussle between Prime Minister Dahal and the ministers from the Congress party, particularly Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. For a long time, Dahal had been complaining that Mahat was bypassing him while taking key decisions. The prime minister was unhappy with Mahat as he failed to make any progress to recover the faltering economy of the country. Prime Minister Dahal wanted to replace Mahat, but Deuba was against it. Dahal was also not pleased with the way the NC was pressing him not to investigate the corruption cases where senior Congress leaders and businessmen were reportedly involved. 

While taking the decision to change the current coalition, Prime Minister Dahal has his own personal reasons. As the government was becoming unpopular for its failure to improve service delivery, tame corruption and bring the failing economy back on track, Dahal wanted to divert people’s attention by shifting the blame on an incompatible alliance. Also, with a new coalition in place, he buys himself some time and the reason to renew his vows of delivering good governance and progress.  

Since the first day in power, Prime Minister Dahal’s top priority was settling the transitional justice process. To this end, he has been continually seeking international support including the United Nations. Most importantly, he needed the support of the main opposition, UML, which was not forthcoming. It was obvious that the UML would support Dahal’s plan to conclude the transitional justice process only if he was willing to sever ties with the Congress.  With the UML’s support, Dahal wants to conclude the transitional justice process according to his own terms, although it is still not an easy task.

As the main opposition, the UML too was continuously working to break the Maoist-NC alliance. Although the UML leaders publicly said that the party was set on the mission of emerging as the majority party through the next general elections, the party had also set its sight on breaking the ruling alliance and coming back to power. Due to the NC-Maoist alliance, the UML was powerless both at the center and provinces.  Initially, the UML had even tried to forge an alliance with the NC and keep the Maoists and CPN (Unified Socialist) out of the equation, but the NC was not ready to entertain the idea. 

It is uncertain how long the latest coalition will last. But Dahal’s tenure is likely to be prolonged. According to leaders, Dahal and Oli will lead the government for an equal period. The two leaders have agreed to take this coalition until the next elections. But given Dahal’s track record, his propensity and history of flip-flopping between the UML and NC, one could argue that there could be more topsy-turvy political events before we reach the election season in 2027.

The Nepali Congress (NC) has decided to hold its Central Work Execution Committee meeting tomorrow.

The meeting will take place at 3 pm at the private residence of party President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha.

NC Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Poudel said the meeting will hold discussions on contemporary political issues.

The office-bearers and members of the Committee have been urged to attend the meeting.

Secularism is an essential characteristic of a democratic society. When Nepal adopted a new constitution in 2015, secularism was one of its defining features. Through the constitution, the nation that once identified as the only Hindu kingdom took a bold step to do away with both monarchy and Hindu statehood. But this wasn’t without resistance. Hindu organizations and pro-royalist parties such as the Rastriya Prajatantra Party were among the fiercest opponents of republicanism and secularism. But the major political parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and CPN (Maoist Center)—prevailed on the decision. 

Nearly a decade after Nepal promulgated the new constitution, the topic of Hindu state has once again seeped into public and political discourse. 

Of late, even major political parties—not just the pro-royalist RPP—seem to be entertaining the idea of reinstating the Hindu state. The Nepali Congress, considered the flagbearer of democratic ideals, is one of them. Voices in favor of the Hindu state are gaining ground inside the party, with an increasing number of central leaders supporting the idea of reinstating Hindu statehood. The NC is currently holding the meeting of its Mahasamiti, the party’s highest decision making body, and although religion or secularism is not on the official agenda, it has figured out rather prominently on the margins of the meeting.  

The Hindu state restoration campaign led by Central Working Committee (CWC) leader Shankar Bhandari is getting increasing support from the other CWC leaders. It is said that more than three dozen members are in favor of restoring the Hindu state. On Tuesday, party’s senior leaders Shanshank Koirala and Tara Nath Ranabhat signed the petition in support of the Hindu statehood campaign. Out of 169 CWC members, 33 have signed in favor of the Hindu state. A considerable number of non-CWC members are also said to be in support of the Hindu state. 

In the previous Mahasamiti meeting held in 2018, around 700 out of 1500 Mahasamiti members had put their signatures in favor of the Hindu state. The number of Mahasamiti members in favor of restoring the Hindu state is said to have reached at least 800. This clearly shows that the NC leadership is under pressure to review its position on secularism, which is enshrined in the 2015 constitution. 

Just a few days back, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba himself said that the party could consider reviewing its position on secularism.  

While the Hindu statehood has always been one of the key agendas of royalist parties like the RPP, the issue gained traction among the major political parties particularly after the rise of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in India. It is in the interest of the BJP, which thrives on Hindutva politics, to see Nepal as a Hindu nation. The BJP-affiliated religious organizations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is one of the chief proponents of Hindu statehood in Nepal.  

Observers say the influence of BJP is international; it’s not just limited within the borders of India. The UK, home to a large Hindu Indian diaspora, is a case in point. Elements of extreme Hindutva politics, which believes in Hindu hegemony, have been reported in various parts of Britain in recent years.

In Nepal, where more than 80 percent of the population identify as Hindus, it is not hard to imagine how and why secularism became a hot-button topic. 

When the large majority of the population is Hindu, it doesn’t take any stretch of imagination to see why the major political parties are jumping on the Hindu statehood bandwagon. Political analysts say though Nepal’s political parties may not agree with Hindutva politics, by restoring the Hindu state—or by at least toying with the idea—they are trying to appeal to the voters. Some even contend that secularism was the agenda carried by the Maoist party that saw the Hindu statehood and monarchy with the same lens.  

NC leader Lokesh Dhakal says that the party should take the position of scrapping secularism and stand in favor of the Hindu state as around 90 percent people support the Hindu state. 

Other senior NC leaders who back the Hindu state are the party’s Gandaki province chief Sukraraj Sharma, Bagmati chief Indra Bahadur Baniya, former minister Dilendra Prasad Badu, and CWC members Pushpa Bhushal and Devenedra Raj Kandel. 

Pro-Hindu forces are already intensifying their activities across the country to restore the Hindu state and monarchy. But the major parties are against reinstating the monarchy. 

In fact, the document presented by the NC Vice-president, Purna Bahadur Khadka, at the ongoing Mahasamiti meeting has strongly criticized the efforts to revive monarchy, dubbing it meaningless. The document does not make a mention about Hindu state restoration, although the activities and murmurs within the party suggest volumes.

The Nepali Congress (NC) Mahasamiti meeting kicked off at the Sunrise Convention Centre in Godabari of Lalitpur on Monday.

The meeting aiming to formulate the party's official policy began coinciding with Democracy Day.

It was inaugurated by party central President and former Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The event has brought together 165 incumbent central committee office bearers and members and 1,780 Mahasamiti members representing the electoral constituencies of the House of Representatives.

Similarly, 89 attendees are from the Nepali Liason Committees and 69 from the sister and other affiliated organizations among others.

The meeting will run till February 22.

Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula is looking to make a political comeback by securing a National Assembly seat. Having lost two consecutive general elections of 2017 and 2022, the former home minister seems eager to wear the parliamentarian’s tag. 

The election for 19 new upper house members is set to take place next week and Sitaula’s victory is almost certain, thanks to a strategic electoral alliance within the ruling coalition. Sitaula, whose influence in national as well as party politics has been waning of late, managed to clinch the NA candidacy due to his closeness with the NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba. 

Despite differing opinions within the NC on the election candidates, consensus among top leaders of the ruling parties solidified Sitaula’s position in the upper house. Even Deuba’s rivals in the Congress party, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Shekhar Koirala, are rallying behind Sitaula, hailing it as an exceptional decision. Earlier, Thapa and Koirala were critical of Sitaula’s candidacy. They were in favor of fielding new faces, preferably experts on some fields, to honor the spirit of the NA as envisioned by the Constitution of Nepal, 2015.  

The buzz is that Sitaula’s entry into the federal parliament is not just a personal victory; it’s a strategic move made by the NC leadership to fortify the constitution against mounting challenges from royalist and anti-federal forces.

Whispers of Sitaula taking the reins as the chair of the upper house are also getting louder. Sources say that both CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN (Unified Socialist) have thrown their support behind Sitaula, putting an end to their claims for the coveted position. The term of incumbent NA chairman, Ganesh Prasad Timalsina, is ending in April.

Sitaula’s bid to enter the national assembly despite previous election setbacks has piqued the interest of many. After losing the 2017 and 2022 general elections to Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden from Jhapa constituency 3, Sitaula was relegated to the margins of national politics. Though he enjoyed the title of a senior leader within the Congress party, his role and influence were limited.

Afraid that he could completely lose his relevance inside the party and national politics, Sitaula, who once harbored the ambition of leading the NC, got close to the party president, Deuba. In the meantime, he continued to maintain a good rapport with the top leaders of other major parties, mainly Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Maoist Center. 

According to Sitaula, his candidacy is all about ensuring the complete implementation of the new constitution and safeguarding the rights of the people. 

Starting as a low-profile figure in the party after the restoration of democracy in 1990, Sitaula emerged as a key player during the peace negotiations with Maoist rebels. His alliance with then NC President Girija Prasad Koirala catapulted him into the national political arena, eventually leading to roles as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs.

Sitaula’s moment to shine came as one of the chief negotiators of peace with the Maoist rebel group. His role in bringing the Maoists into mainstream politics was widely praised.  

After the success of Janaandolan-2, Koirala appointed Sitaula as deputy prime minister and minister for home affairs which further elevated his profile in national politics and inside the party. This also increased his political ambition and started projecting himself as the Koirala’s successor, ahead of other senior leaders including Deuba, Sushil Koirala and Ram Chandra Poudel. He even contested for the position of party president, only to lose the election with a huge margin.

It is no secret that Situala, who has lost his influence and supporters in the party, has only managed to maintain his relevance with Deuba’s support. Now Deuba’s support is set to land him the post of the upper house chair.

The Central Work Execution Committee meeting of the ruling Nepali Congress is being held today.

The meeting of the Committee has been called at the party's central office in Sanepa at 1 pm today, said NC Central Office Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Paudel.

The meeting is scheduled to discuss the upcoming National Assembly elections.

Filing of nominations for the National Assembly elections is being held tomorrow for the election to be held on January 25.

Meanwhile, the Congress has requested the office-bearers and members of the Central Work Execution Committee to attend the meeting.

The Nepali Congress is observing 48th National Unity and Reconciliation Day across the country today with various programs.

The NC has been observing this Day on Push 16 every year recalling the day when its founding leader BP Koirala with other leaders returned to Nepal leaving their life in exile about eight years from India.

NC Communication, Information and Publicity Department Chief Min Bahadur Bishwokarma said that the party is marking the National Unity and Reconciliation Day in Kathmandu this year by organizing a special program.

An event has been scheduled at Nepal Academy, Kamaladi at 1 pm this afternoon where top leaders of different political parties, who have contributed to democratic movement and members of the comprehensive peace accord, will attend.

Different leaders including with supreme leader Ganesh Man Singh, leader Shailaja Acharya, Khub Bahadur Khadka, Ram Babu Prasaib and Nilamber Panthi had returned home under leadership of the first elected Prime Minister Koirala on Push 16, 2033 BS from India after leaving their life of exile of around eight years with the policy of reconciliation.

Upon their return, Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh, and other leaders were arrested from Tribhuvan International Airport and imprisoned again at Sundarijal jail. 

The Sundarijal jail has now turned into a museum on September 9, 2004.

The Nepali Congress has provided Rs 5 million to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund as a contribution to support the earthquake victims.

The Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba handed over the cheque of Rs 5 million to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

Nepali Congress President Deuba, General Secretary duo Bishwo Prakash Sharma and Gagan Kumar Thapa among others had reached Baluwar to hand over the cheque for the rescue and relief of the people affected by the earthquake in Jajarkot and Rukum West.

Earlier, the Congress had announced to provide Rs 5 million to the government’s fund for the rescue, relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake-affected people.

As many as 157 people died and over 200 were injured after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake jolted west Nepal on Friday night.

Almost half of those killed in the earthquake on Friday were children, it has been found. According to data with the police, 78 of the 153 people killed in the quake on the night of Nov 3 were children. Of the deceased children, 50 died in Jajarkot and 28 in Rukum West due to the quake, said Deputy Superintendent of Police Santosh Roka.

Twenty eight of 52 people who died in the quake in Rukum West were children, said the district police chief Namraj Bhattarai. “Most of the deceased in Rukum West were children. Two 10-month-old children have also lost their lives,” he said. According to the Jajarkot police, of the 105 deceased in Jajarkot, 50 were children, 33 women and 18 men. In Rukum West, 16 women and eight men died in the quake.

Meanwhile, the quake-affected people have been waiting for relief to arrive.

Nepali Congress has urged the government for the prompt treatment and rescue of Nepalis injured in Israel.

Speaking at the Parliament meeting on Sunday, Congress Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak said that the government should act wisely to rescue and treat the Nepali injured in Israel.

“Nepali citizens living in Israel are in trouble. I on behalf of the party urged the government to act wisely to rescue and treat the Nepalis injured in Israel,” he said.

Saying that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could be prolonged, he urged the government to pay attention to the safety of all the Nepalis in Israel.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that three Nepali were injured in the attack between Israel and Hamas and 12 have gone out of contact.