All eyes on 2027 election, says UML Gandaki’s new chairman

POKHARA: Navaraj Sharma, the newly-elected chairperson of CPN-UML’s Gandaki Province Committee, said that the provincial committee will align its work with the party’s ‘Mission 2027’.

Talking to reporters after his election to the post, Navaraj Sharma said the entire provincial committee will work to ensure that CPN-UML gets a majority in the 2027 general election. He also said that the provincial committee would work to build a new office building during his tenure.

Responding to a query about increasing factionalism in the party, Sharma said he would take all leaders and cadres forward together. “There are two ways to select leadership. One is through consensus, another is through the election,” Sharma said. “Our contest is until the election only. Now we all are in the same boat,” he added.

In the voting held on Thursday, Sharma defeated Mayanath Adhikari by 166 votes. Of the 896 votes cast in the election, Sharma received 531 votes, while Adhikari could muster 365.

Regardless of what Sharma says, the leaders and cadres in the province are divided into two factions led by former chief ministers of Gandaki, Prithvi Subba Gurung and Khagaraj Adhikari. While Sharma is close to Gurung, the defeated candidate is an ally of Adhikari.

Min Prasad Gurung (Syangja) has been elected as Vice Chairman, Dhan Bahadur Dawadi (Lamjung) as Secretary, Dam Bahadur BK (Kaski) as Deputy Secretary, and Manju Gurung (Parbat) as Deputy Secretary (Female) in the new executive committee.