Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Senior leader of Nepali Congress (NC) Ram Chandra Poudel is eyeing the post of either the Prime Minister or President.
Poudel on Wednesday met Prime Minister and NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba and said NC should stake its claim to both the posts and that he was ready to serve in either of the posts.
According to a source at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Baluwatar, Poudel sought Deuba’s support in the parliamentary party leader election. Poudel told Deuba that he can be the consensus candidate for parliamentary party leader. “Please propose by name for the parliamentary party leader. I will be elected unopposed,” Poudel told Deuba, according to the source.
In response, Deuba told Poudel that the matter will be discussed in the party’s central working committee meeting. “Until then, please make efforts to make the coalition intact,” the source added.
Poudel told Himal Press that he met Deuba on Wednesday. “I requested him to propose my name for the parliamentary party leader. He told me he will discuss the matter in the central working committee meeting,” said Pouel.
Deuba and general secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa are in competition to become the parliamentary party leader. Though Thapa counts influential leader Dr Shekhar Koirala as his supporter, the latter hasn’t said anything. Sources say the chances of Dr Koirala contesting the election of parliamentary party leader are high.
