KATHMANDU: Bishnu Rimal, who was defeated in the race for Deputy General Secretary during the 11th General Convention of the CPN-UML, has also failed to secure a seat as a Central Committee member, according to the final election results.
Rimal had garnered 1,091 votes in the deputy general secretary election but finished fourth, falling short of victory. He later received only 630 votes in the Central Committee election, which proved insufficient for election.
Considered a close confidant of party chair KP Sharma Oli, Rimal had long served in Oli’s secretariat both during his tenure in government and outside power. His dual defeat marks a significant setback for one of Oli’s trusted aides, as party delegates rejected him from both the office-bearer and Central Committee positions.
Rimal’s loss comes at a time when another senior leader, Pradeep Gyawali, had already been edged out of the office-bearer lineup, adding to perceptions of internal recalibration within the ruling party.
Similarly, Guru Prasad Baral, who was defeated in the vice-chairperson race with 1,137 votes, also failed to make it to the Central Committee, securing only 754 votes. Baral had previously been nominated as vice-chairperson by Oli following the demise of then vice-chairperson Subas Nembang, but was unable to retain the confidence of party delegates in the elections.
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