KATHMANDU: The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) extended the deadline for active membership renewal until Monday, April 28, after failing to complete the process by the original mid-April 2024 target.
Active membership is a prerequisite for holding positions in party committees at all levels and for participating in the selection of general convention delegates—who in turn elect the party’s leadership.
The party had aimed to double its active membership from the 13th General Convention, reaching nearly 850,000 members by the 14th General Convention.
Of these, approximately 442,000 were new recruits, while nearly 70,000 existing members failed to renew their memberships on time.
Only 43,913 members from the 13th Convention renewed their memberships for the 14th, out of a total of 470,000.
This year, too, a notable reluctance to renew memberships has been observed, even in wards represented by top party leaders.
In Ganyapadhura Rural Municipality-1, Dadeldhura—the home ward of party President Sher Bahadur Deuba—only 115 out of 184 active members renewed their memberships.
There is a statutory provision that the ward working committee should send the recommendation to the rural municipality-municipal working committee within two weeks of receiving the form to renew the membership of an active member who has met the qualifications.
According to Ward Secretary Minraj Joshi, 40 members defected to the breakaway faction Nepali Congress (BP), 10 have passed away, and several others are either abroad or unresponsive despite repeated contact.
Similarly, in Biratnagar Metropolitan City-7, Morang, the home ward of senior leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, who contested Deuba for party leadership, around 73 members have not renewed.
Ward President Ashokraj Bista said 437 out of 510 members have renewed, attributing the shortfall to deaths and members being abroad.
In Gurbhakot Municipality-8, Surkhet, where Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka holds his membership, four members out of 83 did not renew.
According to Ward President Kiran BK, these individuals are either away from home or no longer affiliated closely with the party.
In contrast, in Arjun-Choupari Rural Municipality-2, Syangja, the home ward of Vice President Dhanraj Gurung, all 111 members renewed their memberships, according to Ward President Gagan Gurung.
Meanwhile, in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-30, where General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa is an active member, 69 out of 305 members did not renew.
Ward President Dal Bahadur Karki reported that after accounting for deaths and members currently abroad, 236 members renewed and 54 new memberships were submitted to the party.
The lag in membership renewal, even in high-profile wards, raises concerns about internal engagement and unity within the party ahead of its future conventions and elections.
Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has an active membership in Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 30. In his ward, Nepali Congress workers have not renewed their memberships, almost as many as in President Deuba’s ward.
According to Ward President Dal Bahadur Karki, who is also the Ward President of Kathmandu-30, as many as 69 out of the old 305 have not renewed their active memberships.
He informed that the list of 290 active members from Kathmandu-30 has been finalized, with 236 members renewed and 54 new members.
“Earlier there were 305. Out of which 3-4 have died. About 25-30 are abroad,” Ward President Karki told Khabarhub, “Now there are about 290 who have renewed and renewed their memberships. We have given membership to 54 new members and submitted them to the party.”
Another Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has an active membership from Mechinagar Municipality Ward No. 9 in Jhapa. Ward President Uddhav Baniya informed that the renewal work of only 440 out of 627 active members in the ward has been completed.
He said that out of the active members who were in the 14th general convention, 20 have died, 19 are teachers and 15 have left the Congress.
“In the past, 20 people have died. We did not renew them because 19 were teachers,” Ward President Baniya told Khabarhub, “15 people left the party.”
He said that 120 people were unable to renew their active membership of the party due to their financial situation.
“In other districts, it is 200, 300. Our district has set the membership renewal fee at 700,” Baniya said, “The financial status of all cadres is not the same. 120 people have not been able to renew due to financial problems.”
Ward President Baniya also said that efforts are being made to renew the membership of the remaining active members. “There are also those who are daily wage earners. That is why it is a little difficult,” he said, WWe are on a campaign to see if we can manage it and renew almost all of them.”
In the ward of former General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula, who had active membership in ward number 2 of Bhadrapur Municipality in Jhapa, 49 people have not renewed their membership. According to ward president Raju Giri, there were 251 active members in ward number 2.
Out of which, 202 people have renewed their membership. “We were 251. Some of them died. Some of them did something, that’s what happened,” said ward president Giri, “202 members have been renewed.”
The NepaliCongress statute has made provision for two types of membership within the party. First – Congress member and second – Congress active member.
Generally, the Nepali Congress grants first-class membership to those who have completed 18 years of age, have faith in the party’s ideals, objectives, policies and statute, and are not disqualified from being a member of a political party by the prevailing law.
The first type of membership, i.e., as a ‘member of the Nepali Congress’, is considered eligible for active membership after one year of membership.
Article 4 of the Congress Statute states, “A member who has obtained the membership of the Nepali Congress after completing one year may apply for active membership by filling out the prescribed application form and paying the prescribed fee through the ward working committee office of the party to which he/she is a member.”
A member who wishes to renew his/her membership of the Nepali Congress must submit an application for renewal to the ward working committee of which he/she is a member every year, and the ward working committee has a provision for renewal of membership under Article 6 of the Statute under the “Procedure for Renewing Membership of the Nepali Congress”.
According to Article 7 (a) of the Nepali Congress Statute, an active member must renew his/her active membership every year. For that, an active member must submit an application as prescribed to the ward working committee.
The statute states that a Congress worker who wishes to renew his/her active membership must personally appear at the ward working committee office and apply along with proof of eligibility while renewing.
While expressing their opinions, the working committees at various levels check whether the qualifications for renewal of active membership are met as per the statute, and also check whether the applicant has fulfilled his role and other responsibilities in the recent local level, provincial assembly and house of representatives elections.
There is a statutory provision that the ward working committee should send the recommendation to the rural municipality-municipal working committee within two weeks of receiving the form to renew the membership of an active member who has met the qualifications.
Thereafter, the rural municipality-municipal working committee should send a statement with its opinion on all applications for renewal received by the rural municipality-municipal working committee to the Provincial Assembly Regional Working Committee within two weeks, the Provincial Assembly Regional Working Committee should send a statement with its opinion to the House of Representatives Regional Working Committee within two weeks, and the House of Representatives Regional Working Committee should send a statement with its opinion to the District Working Committee within two weeks.
There is a provision in the Congress that the District Working Committee should make a decision on the application within a maximum of one month based on the recommendation and opinion of the subordinate working committee and inform the applicant and all the subordinate recommending bodies of the decision.
In districts with a single House of Representatives constituency, the statute states that the Provincial Assembly Regional Working Committee should send it to the District Working Committee.
While expressing their opinions, the working committees at various levels check whether the qualifications for renewal of active membership are met as per the statute, and also check whether the applicant has fulfilled his role and other responsibilities in the recent local level, provincial assembly and house of representatives elections.
The provision for obtaining the opinions of candidates at various levels of elections, if necessary, is mentioned in the statute of the Nepali Congress.
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