Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) has concluded that it suffered defeats in at least 21 constituencies in the House of Representatives elections held on March 5 due to internal sabotage.
Speaking at the party’s Central Working Committee meeting on Sunday, party Spokesperson Devaraj Chalise said internal weaknesses were primarily responsible in constituencies where the NC lost by margins of fewer than 3,000 to 5,000 votes.
According to Chalise, internal divisions within the organisation and weaknesses in the election campaign were the main reasons behind losses in constituencies with narrow margins of 3,000 to 5,000 votes.
“We are holding in-depth discussions on how our traditional votes were transferred during the election,” Chalise said. “We are seriously examining whether this was merely a migration of votes or a shift in voter mindset. Internal factors were mainly responsible for 20–21 constituencies where we lost by less than 3,000-5,000 votes.”
He added that a decline in voter trust towards the party contributed to the losses in some constituencies.
“Defeats by margins of 3,000-5,000 votes may have resulted from flaws in the election campaign itself, which is under review. In constituencies where we lost by larger margins of 5,000 to 10,000 votes, internal sabotage, weak campaigning, and narrative issues left us on the defensive,” Chalise said. ” In some places, it appears public trust in the party has come into question.”
