The Nepali Congress Rukum West announced on Saturday at its district working committee meeting that it has recommended former Minister of State Gopalji Jung Shah and District President Prem Prakash Oli as direct candidates and Man Bahadur Nepali and Manisha Bhandari as proportional candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives elections.

But the trouble has started after aspirants Shiva Acharya and Raju KC protested that the candidates were recommended unilaterally. 

The district working committee meeting in Kalikot on Friday recommended the names of three leaders including Bhupendra Jung Shahi, party president Ambahadur Shahi and Sita Rawal for the direct route.  However, leaders from General Secretary Gagan Thapa's side, including former party president Harsh Bahadur Bam, vice president Min Bahadur Bogati, and Mahasamiti member Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, sent separate recommendations on Saturday. 

The Nepali Congress is struggling to recommend candidates for the House of Representatives elections to be held on Falgun 21.  In many districts, the old candidates have been given continuity.  The meeting of the Nepali Congress district working committee in Jumla was held for four consecutive days from Wednesday, but could not make a decision due to the large number of aspirants. 

‘Four days of discussions have passed,’ said party spokesperson Meghraj Giri, ‘we have not yet reached a decision.’ According to him, 7 candidates, including former MP Kantika Sejuwal, President Karna Bahadur Shahi and former Vice President Khadka Bahadur Sejuwal, are claiming to be in the direct category. 15 people are claiming to be in the proportional category.

Congress Rukum West President Prem Prakash Oli claimed that two candidates have been recommended in the open category. He said that one woman’s name has been recommended in the direct category. KC, an aspirant for the House of Representatives member’s candidacy, accused the president of ‘mediating’ without taking the decision of the working committee meeting.

In Kalikot, the dissatisfied party has recommended the names of 12 people, including 5 direct candidates, 5 proportional candidates and 2 National Assembly candidates. In which Harsh Bahadur Bam, Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, Daman Raj Bam, Keshar Jung Bam and Jeevan Subedi have been directly recommended. Former president Harsh Bahadur Bam held a press conference and accused the district working committee of recommending names unilaterally to weaken the party.

In Surkhet Constituency No. 1, Congress acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka has been recommended alone. General Secretary of the Congress Karnali Province Working Committee Krishna Bahadur Rokaya said that the problem arose due to the large number of aspirants in other districts. According to him, as per the decision of the central committee, a letter was sent to the province, district, region and provincial assembly regional working committees on November 15 for the recommendation of candidates.

He said that although the provincial committee was instructed to recommend names with its opinion by November 25, there was a delay due to the large number of aspirants. According to Articles 33, 33 (2) and 69 of the Nepali Congress statute, the district working committee was instructed to recommend the names of at least three people, including one woman, directly from among the qualified persons. In which 10-point criteria have been mentioned.

In Surkhet-2, the names of six people, including former MPs Hridayram Thani, Upendra Thapa, and Narayan Koirala, have been recommended. Congress Surkhet President Khadka Bahadur Pokharel said that the candidates were recommended with the basis of winning. ‘We have followed the decision made by the central working committee during the selection of candidates,’ he said, ‘Their qualifications, popularity among the people, and commitment have also been considered as the basis.’

Durga Prasad Sapkota, associate professor at Madhya Paschim University, said that the recommendation of candidates was delayed due to internal disputes in the Congress from the center to the ward level. ‘All leaders have their own interests, that was also seen in the party,’ he said, ‘The criteria set by the center were not followed in the recommendation.’

In Dolpa, the name of central member Karna Bahadur Budha has been recommended for direct elections, while 3 names have been recommended for proportional elections. Due to the large number of aspirants, from Dailekh constituency no. 1, 13 names including District President Maniram Regmi, Khemraj Oli, Khemraj KC, Ganesh Upadhyay have been recommended for direct elections, and 7 names have been recommended for proportional elections. Similarly, from constituency no. 2, the names of Sita Kumari Rana, Dikpal Kumar Shahi, Madhur Bikram Khanal and Ranjana Shahi have been recommended.

In Mugu, 7 names including former Forest and Environment Minister Ain Bahadur Shahi have been recommended, while in Jajarkot, the Congress has recommended The names of 5 people including Khadga Bahadur Budha, Maina Karki, Mukti Prasad Acharya have been sent.