Congress Parliamentary Party Meeting Today to Discuss Leader Selection

Senior members of the House of Representatives including Arjun Narasingh K.C., Bhismraj Angdembe, Mohan Acharya, Bharat Bahadur Khadka, and Niskal Rai are among the names being considered for the leadership of the Congress Parliamentary Party. The Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party will convene today at 11 a.m. at Singha Durbar to deliberate on the selection of the party leader. According to the party’s parliamentary regulations, members of the House of Representatives will elect their leader from among themselves, and if more than one candidate emerges, the leader will be chosen through a secret ballot.

Congress leaders have indicated that due to factions led by Gagan Thapa and Sher Bahadur Deuba, there is a strong possibility that the voting process will be conducted once again in this leadership selection. Congress lawmaker Basana Thapa noted that while the meeting agenda is not officially finalized, discussion on selecting the parliamentary party leader may take place. She stated, ‘Even though the meeting agenda is not officially set, the necessity to select the party leader might arise.’

The names most frequently discussed for the position of the parliamentary party leader are senior House member Arjun Narasingh K.C., Bhismraj Angdembe, Mohan Acharya, Bharat Bahadur Khadka, and Niskal Rai. Since the speaker has yet to be chosen, senior member K.C. is expected to preside over the parliamentary sessions, prompting the Congress to prepare for a delayed leader selection.

Other parties have already selected their parliamentary party leaders. Senior leader Balendra Shah (Balen) of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (Raswapa) has been elected party leader and appointed Prime Minister. The Communist Party of Nepal (UML) has chosen Ram Bahadur Thapa, the Nepal Communist Party selected Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, Labor Culture Party Chairman Harka Sampang leads his party, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) appointed Gyanendra Shahi as their parliamentary party leader.