190 representatives are being elected from 82,135 party members, an effort for consensus in all districts
What you should know
Lumbini is not as competitive as elsewhere for the 11th UML general convention. The group of Vidya Bhandari and Ishwor Pokharel appears weak in Lumbini province as the main leaders at the central high level have not been identified.
UML has started the selection of representatives for the 11th convention from Thursday. There is a schedule for registering nominations for the selection of representatives in all districts of the province on Thursday. According to UML Lumbini Province Committee Chairman Radhakrishna Kandel, there are 82,135 organized members of UML in Lumbini Province alone. Out of them, 190 representatives are being selected from geography, committees and public organizations.
The vice-presidents from Lumbini Province are Bishnu Poudel and Yubaraj Gyawali, general secretary Shankar Pokharel, deputy general secretary Pradeep Gyawali, secretaries Gokarna Bista, Chhabilal Bishwakarma, and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi. After Rayamajhi was suspended, the current working committee has 6 office bearers. However, as none of them have come out in favor of leaders Vidya Bhandari and Ishwor Pokharel so far, the KP Oli side is seen to be dominant in the entire Lumbini Province. However, there is a suspicion among the leaders that many may change sides after the representatives are selected.
According to UML Provincial Chairman Kandel, one month has been made mandatory for every 3 representatives from Lumbini. In this way, 53 women, 19 Dalits and at least 26 youth under the age of 40 will be selected. There is a provision for 80 people to be elected to open positions. Chairman Kandel said that 190 representatives will participate in the 11th convention if 5 are selected from the provincial committee and 7 from the labor organization. ‘There is no tug-of-war in the selection of representatives,’ he said, ‘What happens after the selection is their business.’ He said that representatives will be selected unanimously in as many districts as possible and only in the districts where there is disagreement, they will be selected through the election process.
According to a UML leader from Rupandehi, Vice Chairman Bishnu Poudel is currently silent and Secretary Gokarna Bista, who has been open for a while, has not played an effective role, which is why the supporters of education are silent. "It seems that they are trying to participate in the selection of representatives by staying silent because they understand that there will be no selection if there is a tug-of-war before the selection of representatives," he said. "Then the tug-of-war will finally begin."
According to the leader's claim, more than 35 percent of the votes from Lumbini are likely to change as the environment for the election is ready at the convention. Pyuthan district of Lumbini province has decided to select representatives unanimously. The process began in other districts by publishing the names on Wednesday and nominations will be made from Thursday, said DR Ghimire, secretary of the provincial publicity department.
