Who are contesting against Deuba in parliamentary election?

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress has begun preparation to elect its parliamentary party leader.

The central working committee meeting of the party being held on Sunday is likely to form an election committee to hold the election.

NC is holding its central working committee meeting to discuss different issues including the election of the parliamentary party leader. According to a lawmaker close to party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, Deuba is looking to get elected as the parliamentary party leader by Tuesday. With the parliamentary party election in mind, Deuba on Saturday invited all the lawmakers to his official residence in Baluwatar and congratulated them.

Party general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa and Dr Shekhar Koirala are said to be preparing to contest the parliamentary party election.

Though leaders like Dr Shashank Koirala and Prakash Man Singh had also said that they would contest the election of parliamentary party leader, they have not begun preparations yet. Senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, however, has been saying that the party should accept him as the prime minister this time. He has been saying that the party should do justice to him. But he is close to the party’s establishment faction led by Deuba.

NC has 89 lawmakers in the House of Representatives. Of them, 55 are close to the establishment faction, while 34 belong to the anti-establishment faction.

Deuba is eyeing his sixth prime ministerial stint. No lawmaker from his faction has staked claim to the PM’s post.

NC Spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat told Himal Press the parliamentary party election was likely to be held on Monday or Tuesday. “We are holding our central working committee meeting on Sunday. The central working committee could decide to hold the parliamentary party election on Monday or Tuesday,” he added.

NC Spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat told Himal Press the parliamentary party election was likely to be held on Monday or Tuesday.

As per the party statute, only the parliamentary party leader can become the prime minister. Therefore, aspirants are making preparations for the election accordingly.

Party sources say Deuba, Thapa and Koirala are preparing to contest the election. Thapa and Koirala were in the same faction during the party’s 14th general convention. Realizing that Thapa and Koirala were holding talks to forge consensus on the parliamentary party election, Deuba made a rush to announce the parliamentary party election date.

The Election Commission has already submitted the final results of the November 20 polls to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Prime Minsiter Deuba, among others. As per the constitution, the new prime minister has to be appointed within 30 days of the declaration of the election results. President Bhandari is expected to invite political parties to form the next government formation within a day or two.

Lawmakers close to Deuba

FPTP: Sher Bahadur Deuba, Purna Bahadur Khadka, Ram Chandra Paudel, Dr. Shashank Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, NP Saud, Ramesh Lekhak, Ramhari Khatiwada, Pradeep Paudel, Durlabh Thapa, Udaya Shamsher Rana, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Bir Bahadur Balayar, Ramesh Rijal, Kishore Singh Rathore, Binod Kumar Chowdhary, Purna Bahadur Tamang, Kham Bahadur Garbuja, Dilli Raj Pant, Shankar Bhandari, Shyam Kumar Ghimire, Mohan Acharya, Deepak Khadka, Sita Gurung, Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, Ajay Kumar Chaurasia, Dinesh Kumar Yadav, Mahendra Kumar Rai, Pushpa Bahadur Shah, Tek Bahadur Gurung, Bishnu Kumar Karki, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki and Dr Narayan Khadka.

PR: Bimalendra Nidhi, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, Arzoo Rana Deuba, Ishwari Neupane, Manju Devi Khand, Shanti BK, Rupa BK, Asha BK, Saraswati Bajimaya, Sita Kumari Rana, Sushila Theeng, Maya Rai, Manorama Sherchan, Ambika Basnet, Rama Koirala Paudyal, Kantika Sejuwal, Kalpana Choudhary, Nagina Yadav, Chanda Choudhary, Sangeeta Mandal, Jabeda Khatun and Anjani Shrestha

Lawmakers close to Shekhar Koirala
FPTP: Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Gagan Kumar Thapa, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Dhanraj Gurung, Badri Pandey, Arjun Narsingh KC, Hridayram Thani, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Ram Nath Adhikari, Yogesh Gauchan Thakali, Sanjay Kumar Gautam, Deepak Giri, Chandra Bhandari, Ram Krishna Yadav, Dev P rasad Timalsina, Rajendra Bajgain,  Rajendra KC, Dig Bahadur Limbu, Dikpal Kumar Shahi, Sunil Kumar Sharma, Surendra Raj Acharya, Santosh Chalise, Tejulal Choudhary, Raju Thapa

PR: Sarita Prasai, Pratima Gautam, Leeladevi Bokhim, Jeevan Pariyar, Sita Mijar, Mukta Kumari Yadav, Bina Kumari Thanet, Sapna Rajbhandari, Kusum Thapa, Maina Rawal