By Our Correspondent
Biratnagar, Dec. 4: Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday instructed his party’s rank and file to focus on local, provincial and federal elections by taking the intra-party election as a democratic exercise.
Inaugurating the NC Province-1 committee’s first general convention virtually, he instructed NC leaders and workers to prepare for local, provincial and federal elections as the local-level general election would be held within months and provincial and federal elections within a year.

He asked them to remain focused and united forgetting the party’s internal election’s victory and defeat to win people’s faith in the party.
“We are going to hold local level election within a few months, federal and provincial election within one year. So we have to get united for three-tier election after the 14th general convention of the party,” he said.
Prime Minister Deuba expressed his belief that the NC’s provincial general convention would strengthen the party as it had been proven that it was the only party capable enough to lead the country towards development and prosperity.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology and NC Central Member Gynendra Bahadur Karki said the time had come for the NC to shoulder big responsibility to guard the country and democracy.
He urged the party’s rank and file to cast vote in party’s internal competition wisely and not based on emotion and prejudice.
Defence Minister Minendra Rijal said the internal unity of the NC was critically important for institutional development of democracy.

NC vice-president Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadhar said the leadership change was time cycle for the party as it was the party with vision and that right and capable leadership would drive the party and the country in the right direction. NC leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the country and the people have faith in the NC and stressed on the party’s internal unity.

NC central member Mahesh Acharya said the general convention should decide on which direction the country needs to be taken and everyone has a role to play in selecting the leadership.
NC Central Member Dr. Shekhar Koirala said the general convention would give new leadership as well as new life to the party.

“Protecting the main pillars of democracy is now the full responsibility of the NC,” he said. NC leader Bal bahadur KC and Dr. Dila Sagraula stressed the need of internal unity in the party.