KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leaders Dr. Chandra Bhandari and Sunil Sharma have left the venue of the party’s second special general convention at Bhrikuti Mandap, saying they will not support any move that could lead to a split in the party.
The two leaders walked out after General Secretaries Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Gagan Kumar Thapa moved ahead with the election process at the ongoing special convention.
Following his departure from Bhrikuti Mandap, Dr. Bhandari headed to the party’s central office in Sanepa to attend the central committee meeting called by the establishment faction. Former lawmaker Sunil Sharma has also left the convention venue, saying he does not support a division within the party.
Dr. Bhandari said he is not in favor of a party split but has not withdrawn from the special convention. Speaking to Khabarhub, he said he is working to bring all sides together and give the special convention a safe landing.
“My position is to move the special convention forward in a way that keeps the party united. I have not left the special convention, but I cannot accept a party split. I want the party to move ahead through consensus,” Bhandari said, adding that he is engaged in efforts to find common ground among all factions.
Sunil Sharma, who is close to NC leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala, had earlier taken part in the opening of the special convention despite his political alignment. Both leaders left after the Election Committee led by senior advocate Sitaram KC published the voters’ list and began distributing nomination forms to potential candidates.
At present, aspirants for positions in the party’s central committee and office bearers are collecting nomination forms from the designated locations set by the Election Committee.
With the election process now underway, pressure has mounted on party president Sher Bahadur Deuba to prevent the party from heading toward a split. Special Convention Secretariat Coordinator Manomani Acharya said the process of selecting a new leadership has already begun and will not be halted.
“The train for electing new leadership has already left the station. It will not stop now. We have reached a decisive phase and the election process is moving forward,” Acharya told reporters at Bhrikuti Mandap.
Meanwhile, NC leader Sujata Koirala said the party leadership is determined to prevent a split at any cost. Speaking to journalists outside the party office in Sanepa, she said the Nepali Congress has suffered the pain of division in the past and will not allow it to happen again.
“We have experienced the pain of party splits many times. We will not let it happen under any circumstances because the cost would be too high,” she said, adding that she and Dr. Shekhar Koirala are in discussions to develop a strategy to keep the party united.
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