Nepali Congress elects Gagan Thapa as new president

Efforts to prevent a split in the Nepali Congress failed as the party’s special general convention on Wednesday elected a new central committee led by Gagan Thapa, the new party president. The election came hours after the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led central committee suspended leaders Thapa, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and Farmullah Mansoor.

Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal were elected vice-presidents, while Pradeep Paudel and Gururaj Ghimire were selected as general secretaries unanimously.

Paudel had lost the general secretary post in the 14th general convention on Deuba’s panel, while Ghimire had led a signature campaign for the special convention and had previously served as Thapa’s associate in the Nepal Student Union leadership.

The central joint general secretaries elected include Dila Sangroula from women category, Prakash Rasaili from Dalit category, Bahadur Singh Lama from indigenous category, Udaya Shumsher Rana from Khas Arya, Mukta Kumari Yadav from Madhesi category, Farmullah Mansoor from Muslim category, Yogendra Chaudhary from Tharu category, and Karna Bahadur Budha from backward regions.

The special convention also selected central members from various categories and provinces.

The open category members include Gopalman Shrestha, Omkar Prasad Shrestha, Arjun Narsingh K.C., Rajendra Kumar K.C., Arjun Prasad Joshi, Suresh Kumar Yongya, Chinkaji Shrestha, Sudhir Shiwakoti, Bharat Sah, Madhu Acharya, Amrit Aryal, Dhurva Wagle, Devraj Chalise, Binod Chaudhary, Mohan Acharya, Ujjwal Baral, Janak Giri, Dev Prasad Timilsina, Ajay Babu Siwakoti, Prem Bahadur Khadka, Jairam Lamichhane, Basanta Bhattarai, Pradeep Sharma, Jagat Joshi, Pramodhari Guragain, Kedar Narsingh K.C., Bidur Basnet, Tirtha Jung Shahi, Bharat Khadka, Subash Pokharel, Shambhu Budhathoki, Dharmaraj Gautam, Tekraj Paudel, Tilak Ranabhat, and Rajendra Gopal Singh.

Women in the open category include Champa Devi Khadka, Dhana Khatiwada, Nanu Bastola, Chinu Pokharel, Janaki Singh, Pratima Gautam, Gita Satyal, Santoshi Saud Airee, and Dil Kumari Rai.

From Koshi Province, Sharada Devi Koirala was elected as the woman representative, with Himalaya Karmacharya and Agni Paudel as open members.

From Madhesh Province, Madhu Shahi was elected as a woman central member, with Ramananda Yadav and Bajrang Nepali as open members.

Bagmati Province’s central members are Uma Dahal as a woman representative, with Jitnarayan Shrestha and Ramesh Dhamala as open members.

Gandaki Province elected Bishnu Devi Pandey as a woman representative, with Resham Baniya and Krishna K.C. as open members. Lumbini Province’s central members include Pavitra Kumari Aryal as a woman representative, with Keshav Acharya and Ram Bahadur Karki as open members.

Karnali Province elected Rama Devi Khadka as a woman representative, with Dikpal Shahi and Narayan Bhattarai as open members.