KATHMANDU, Jan 16: Expressing serious discontent over the working style of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, the rival faction of the Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded a meeting of the central working committee (CWC) immediately in view of the party's poor performance in the recently held parliamentary and provincial assembly polls.
NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel and General Secretary Shashanka Koirala demanded the party's CWC meeting during a meeting with Deuba who is also the Prime Minister, on Monday morning. NC's former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula and influential leader Bimalendra Nidhi were also present in the meeting held at the Prime Minister's Residence at Baluwatar.
"Party leadership made decisions arbitrarily in the past, damaging the party's reputation," senior leader Paudel said. "I have taken initiatives for correcting party activities and revamp changes in the party."
According to sources attending the meeting, Paudel had also expressed dissatisfaction with Deuba over not including leaders close to his faction while nominating members in the CWC and parliamentary board of the party. Paudel accused Deuba of breaching the party's statute and regulations while nominating members to the CWC and board.
"I have demanded a meeting of the central working committee at the earliest to discuss all these issues. We will discuss in the central committee whether we should summon a Mahasamiti meeting for further discussion," he told Republica. Paudel also claimed that his demand with party president was the first step to bring changes in the party and give a new life to the party rank and file.
In response, Deuba assured the Paudel faction of convening the CWC meeting soon. He said that due to the shortage of time for discussion before the National Assembly elections, he will call the CWC meeting only after the polls scheduled for February 7.
The meeting was convened by party President Deuba to discuss the party's candidates for National Assembly election. But as Paudel came down heavily upon Deuba in the meeting on Monday, the meeting didn't enter the issue of candidate finalization for upper house election, said, leaders.
NC Spokesperson Biswa Prakash Sharma said that the meeting of NC top guns on Monday started the homework for finalizing National Assembly candidates.