NC gearing up for Maha Samiti meeting

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 5: Two years after holding its 14th general convention, the Nepali Congress has scheduled its Maha Samiti meeting for January 1-4 next year.

According to the party statute, the Maha Samiti meeting needs to be convened at least once a year.  

Nepali Congress statute, 2017 BS (10th amendment on 2078 BS) has a provision to hold the Maha Samiti meetings at least once every year except for the year in which the general convention is held. 

For the policy-level discussion, the party has provisioned the Maha Samiti. However, the party concluded its 14th general convention on December 13-15, 2021 without discussing its policies and programmes.

This gap should be filled up by holding the meeting of Maha Samiti. But it was not called for two years after the 14th convention. 

Still, there are speculations about whether the party will hold it on the stipulated date, as the party has already deferred it twice this year. 

Due to disputes in the party over the ruling coalition and agendas like the Hindu state, the scheduled meeting could be affected. The factional differences that surfaced between party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala had already spilt in some districts like Nawalparasi. Similarly, party president Deuba and general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma have contradicting views over some issues like the present coalition government.

Meanwhile, some leaders in the party are pressing for the Hindu state. It could be another agenda of dispute in the party in the Maha Samiti meeting.  

NC leader and Member of the House of Representatives Shankar Bhandari said that his team would put the agenda of the Hindu state if the general secretaries did not include it in their proposal.

“I am not requesting our young general secretaries for that. I already requested party President Deuba to discuss the agenda. This agenda is getting wider space in the party now. So, if the agenda is not formally brought in the Maha Samiti meeting, we will bring it through the floor and create an environment to endorse it,” he told The Rising Nepal.

“If the Maha Samiti meeting is postponed due to this agenda. We will raise it in other forums in the party,” he said.

Party insiders said preparations for the Maha Samiti meeting are moving at a slow pace. However, party joint general secretary Jeevan Pariyar informed that preparations for the meeting were smoothly going on. 

The meeting hall has been booked and the proposal has been drafted by the general secretaries, he said.  According to him, the upcoming meeting of the party's Central Working Committee will endorse the proposals. 

“Some issues are raised in the party. They will not halt the Maha Samiti meeting. However, it is a different thing if the meeting is postponed for other various causes,” he said.

The party is now holding its first conference at the provincial level as per the new provision of the party statute after the country adopted the federal set-up. NC President Deuba and rival leader Dr. Koirala have been participating in the conferences together as the chief guest and the special guest. 

Some disputes were seen in the district-level conference. In Nawalparasi, the district conference held recently was boycotted by leaders loyal to party president Deuba. NC leader Dr. Koirala was the chief guest of the conference.