NC Reveals Candidates for NA Elections Amid Factional Discord

The Nepali Congress, the largest party in the coalition government, announced its selected candidates for the upcoming National Assembly elections scheduled for January 25. A central working committee meeting finalized the names of 10 candidates, revealing a mix of individuals aligned with the party’s establishment and those from the dissident faction.

Former home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula has been nominated to contest for a seat in Koshi Province, and Anand Prasad Dhungana is set to vie for a Madhes Province seat. In Bagmati Province, Jit Jung Basnet and Bishnu Devi Pudasaini will be the Congress candidates, while Kiran Babu Shrestha and Padam Bahadur Pariyar have been chosen for seats in Gandaki Province. Bishnu Kumari Sapkota and Krishna Bahadur Rokaya will represent Lumbini and Karnali provinces, respectively. Baldev Bohara and Narayan Dutt Bhatta are the selected candidates for Sudurpashchim Province.

However, the party’s General Secretary Gagan Thapa expressed dissent, citing dissatisfaction with the committee’s decision. Thapa argued that the selection did not adhere to the principle of inclusive representation, criticizing the repeated nomination of some candidates who had served as elected lawmakers in the past while neglecting qualified and genuine party leaders.

Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba, leading the establishment faction, holds a clear majority in the party committees, while General Secretary Thapa and senior leader Shekhar Koirala lead the dissident faction within the party.

In contrast, the main opposition CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) finalized their candidates on Saturday. The Maoists, as part of a power-sharing agreement in the ruling coalition, will contest six seats, with the Nepali Congress fielding candidates in 10 out of the 19 vacant seats. The CPN (Unified Socialist) and the Janata Samajbadi Party secured two and one seat, respectively, as per the agreement. The CPN-UML has nominated candidates for all 19 vacant seats.

The term of 20 lawmakers in the 59-member upper house is set to expire on March 3, with 19 seats to be filled through elections and one member to be nominated by the President based on the Cabinet’s recommendation. The selection of candidates for these crucial elections is unfolding against a backdrop of internal dissent within the Nepali Congress.