26 Chait, Kathmandu. Nepali Congress has not been able to elect the leader of the parliamentary party even after two weeks have passed since the members of the House of Representatives took oath. The selection of the party leader was delayed after the Chairman Gagan Kumar Thapa tried to proceed with consensus.

Arjun Narasimha KC, the senior member elected on proportional basis, had to conduct the meeting of the House of Representatives.

He got free from the Speaker of the House of Representatives after completing the election of the Speaker on February 22.

Congress had prepared to proceed with the process of selecting the leader of the parliamentary party only after the Speaker was decided because MP KC had aspirations.

The Congress had also formed an election committee under the coordination of joint general minister Prakash Rasaili ‘Snehi’ to select the party leader on March 24 by moving the process forward.

However, the Congress did not proceed with the process through the committee for the selection of the party leader on March 24, nor officially announced the formation of the committee under the chairmanship of Rasaili.

According to Congress sources, the Rasaili-led committee did not advance the process and the election program scheduled for March 24 has been postponed as Chairman Thapa said that discussions are being held for the selection of the leader of the parliamentary party unanimously.

A leader of the Congress says, ‘The Chairman will make Arjun Dai the leader of the party only if there is unanimous consent, otherwise he will not be made. Arjun dai would be ready to fight the election itself. That is why the party’s leader selection is being delayed.’

Another leader, who is among the top leaders who are trying for unanimous election, also responded that the Congress is delaying the election of the party leader due to the fact that the unanimous election is underway.

“It has been delayed by various efforts such as not to make Arjun Dai, to make another one, and to make the other one also unanimous,” said the official, “we will reach a decision within the month of Chait.”

According to a Congress functionary, Chairman Thapa and Deputy Chairman Vishwaprakash Sharma did not want MP KC to be the leader of the party. However, the officials say that KC’s morale increased after MPs pressured him to become the leader of the party.

“Both Gagan and Vishwaji did not want to make Arjun Narsingh Dai,” he said to Online News, “However, if the situation turned out, there were many MPs who wanted to make Arjun Narsingh KC if not himself.” It boosted his morale.’

It is the understanding of the Congress establishment that other groups are also instigating KC to ‘expose’ President Thapa.

“To expose Gaganji, while talking personally, Purna Bahadur dai-Shekhar dai started talking to Arjun dai saying that you are neither the leader of the party,” said a joint general minister.

Speaker Thapa wants to make directly elected MP Mohan Acharya the leader of the party. However, the Congress leaders say that they cannot gather consensus in the name of Acharya.

“There is no unanimous decision to make Mohan Acharya the leader of the party,” said a top leader, “but he is a candidate in the interests of the president.” The leader also claimed that President Thapa is trying to make the leader of the unanimous party regardless of who the person is.

“It is a matter of unanimity that none other than Arjun Dai will be the man of Sabhapatiji, he would have been able to make him,” said the leader, “even if it is ‘Bhishmaraj Angdembe’, he has no objection.”

Angdembe, an MP from the proportional side in the Congress, is also an aspiring leader of the parliamentary party. He was elected Co-General Minister from the panel of Nirwaman Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba in the 14th Congress.

Congress leaders had met MP KC three days ago to try to reach a consensus. During the discussion, the Congress leaders asked him to support the candidate put forward by the leadership.

However, KC asked to create an environment to make him the leader of the unanimous party. He also warned that if there is no attempt to make him the leader of the opposition party from the leadership level, he will nominate a candidate himself.

‘Three days ago we made it clear to him that you will be the leader of the party only if you are unopposed. In the other case you are not. In other words, we make a candidate, we were asked to support it,’ said one of the leaders participating in the discussion, ‘he said, ‘OK, if you make it unopposed, I will be. His point was that if he does not want to make it unopposed, I will pick another candidate myself.’

According to the source, the establishment side understands that there is a possibility that other groups of the establishment will help MP KC as the leader of the party. A leader from the establishment side, Poorna Bahadur Khadka and Dr. Shekhar Koirala sees the possibility of helping KC.

“The Deuba-Koirala group is saying that they will help Arjun Narasimha become KC candidate in the conversation,” the three leaders said, “He seems to be confident of Deuba-Koirala now. On the other hand, KC has the understanding that they elevated Bhishmaraj.’

KC is asking Speaker Thapa to make him the unopposed leader of the parliamentary party.

“He is telling the chairman that you should create the environment, I will be unanimous,” said a leader from the establishment side, “He seems very excited that he will become the leader of the party.” MPs are going home, people are instigating, you are the one saying yes. Even now, he is determined to be unopposed.’

However, in the parliamentary history of the Congress, after the 2064 election, the leader of the party has not been elected unanimously. Since the internal factionalism has reached its climax after the election of the leadership through the special convention, it seems more likely that the party leader will be elected through voting this time as well.

The Congress adopted the voting process during the election of the leader for the parliament formed after the House of Representatives election 2079. The then chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba was challenged as the leader of the party by the current chairman Gagan Thapa.

In the elections held on February 21, both Deuba and Thapa’s signatures were used by the Election Commission while distributing tickets to the party’s candidates.

The closed list of the proportional system was signed by Deuba as the chairman, while the direct ticket was signed by Thapa, who became the chairman from the special convention.

Congress leaders say that because those who became MPs by signing the signatures of two leaders are in the parliamentary party, there is a high possibility of elections for the selection of leaders this year as well.

Among the aspirants, KC from Nuwakot and Angdembe from Panchthar are seen as the main contenders. Both leaders are also former joint general ministers of Congress. KC is considered to be the most experienced Congress MP. Angdembe was a member of parliament in the second Constituent Assembly election.

The leader is known as the leader of other groups near the KC institution and the Angdembe institution. Dr. Casey at the 14th Congress of the party. Central member from Shekhar Koirala group and Angdembe Sher Bahadur Deuba won as joint general minister from group.

In the House of Representatives elections held on February 21, 18 people were elected from the Congress under the direct election system and 20 people were elected under the proportional election system. Out of the total 38 MPs elected under both systems, the establishment party is dominant on the direct side, while on the proportional side, there are more parliamentarians from other groups.

Based on ticket distribution, there are 16 pro-establishment parliamentarians and 22 non-establishment parliamentarians directly and proportionally. Among the 22 other parties, 15 are considered to be close to the outgoing chairman Deuba and seven are considered to be close to Koirala.

However, due to the recent polarization between the establishment and non-establishment groups, there is no consensus on the number of parliamentarians.