After a month of MPs taking oath, questions have started to be raised about the leadership of the Nepali Congress after they failed to elect a parliamentary party leader. The party leadership had been saying that they would elect a leader even after holding an election if they could not reach an agreement, but this has not been decided yet.

Nepali Congress Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma had said that the party leader would be elected with the beginning of the new year. He said that even after holding an election, the party leader would be elected within the first week of Baisakh. The oath of office of the MPs was taken on 12 Chaitra. All the parties represented in the House of Representatives have already elected their parliamentary party leaders.

Leaders say that there is a delay in the selection of the parliamentary party leader due to lack of coordination between party President Gagan Thapa and Deputy President Bishwaprakash Sharma. Nepali Congress MPs have said that the lack of coordination with the government, opinion formation in policy decisions and confusion in parliamentary activities have arisen.

‘Delay in selecting the leader of the parliamentary party may lead to divisions within itself and the risk of increasing distrust,’ said a leader who is in the party’s favor, ‘This will not only weaken internal unity, but also send a negative message within the party across the country. We are saying that this confusion should not be prolonged any longer.’

After the party failed to reach a consensus, the election schedule for Friday had already been published. The nominations were scheduled to be made at 3 pm and the voting would be held on the same day. While the election committee formed under the leadership of Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili ‘Snehi’ was moving forward with the process, the Central Working Committee meeting chaired by President Thapa suddenly postponed the election. The same meeting had given the responsibility to Vice Presidents Bishwaprakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal, General Secretaries Pradeep Poudel and Gururaj Ghimire to reach a consensus.

Ghimire claimed that an agreement would be reached based on the discussions held till Saturday. He said that if it cannot happen on Sunday, the leader will be selected on Monday at the latest. ‘The discussions among the aspirants have led to an agreement. An understanding will be reached from the meeting with President Thapa on Sunday morning, after which the process can be started and the party leader can be announced. It will not be done on Monday at the latest,’ he said.

Ghimire said that the party leader will be selected from among the three leaders currently in the news. Arjun Narsingh KC, who was elected through the proportional system, and Bhishma Angdembe, and Mohan Acharya, who was directly elected from Rasuwa, are the main aspirants for the position of leader of the parliamentary party.

KC is the senior-most member of parliament. He is also President Thapa’s father-in-law. Angdembe is a leader of former President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s faction. After the House of Representatives elections, he has become close to Deputy President Sharma. Acharya is close to President Thapa.

General Secretary Ghimire claims that the party leader will be chosen by a proposer and a supporter among the three. Ghimire said that the delay was caused because the party's top leaders, aspirants and all MPs suggested a unanimous selection. 'The consensus path was taken for good results and as the main goal was to unite the party, and no debates delayed it,' he added.

According to another official, the delay is also due to problems convincing President Thapa's father-in-law KC. Thapa is not interested in bringing KC as the party leader. Saying that making him the leader of the parliamentary party would raise political and moral questions for himself, Thapa is putting forward a criterion to make directly elected MPs the leader of the parliamentary party instead of proportional representation. Such criteria do not even apply to Angdembe.

Deputy Chairman Sharma is pushing for former Joint General Secretary Angdembe to be made the leader. Sharma argues that senior leader Angdembe should be made the party leader to protect the weakening tribal influence in the east. Sharma argues that by promoting Angdembe, a consensus can be reached with former Chairman Sher Bahadur Deuba and Shekhar Koirala within the party.

Sharma had even made a public appeal to KC not to show aspirations to be the party leader and to remain as the guardian of the parliament. 'When he (KC) wants to become the leader of the parliamentary party, it is difficult for us to say no.' It would be better for him to adopt the path of becoming a politician from the position of leader,' Sharma had said while addressing the election review program of Gandaki Province a few days ago, 'I expect him to facilitate the selection of the parliamentary party leader as unanimously as possible among the MPs.'

KC, on the other hand, has been asking why he should not be the leader of the party if Angdembe is to be made the leader of the party through proportional representation. He said that it is not acceptable to sideline him just because he is the father-in-law of Speaker Thapa. KC said that consensus can be sought only on the basis of criteria, not on the basis of individuals. 'If it is to be done by senior and experienced leaders, I am the most senior in the parliament. No, should it be done directly, or should it be done by new youth? Let there be criteria. I am ready to leave to reach an agreement on that,” KC said. “If my political value and qualifications are being devalued on the basis of being my father-in-law, I will not accept it.” KC has said that even if he does not contest the election, he can nominate someone.

Former President Deuba and leader Shekhar Koirala’s faction have indicated that they may support Angdembe. On Friday morning, President Thapa had a telephone conversation with leader Koirala about this. “Shekhar Koirala has suggested that one of senior leaders KC and Angdembe be made the party leader to save the tradition and culture of the Congress,” said a central member close to Koirala. “The election has been postponed because they insisted on doing it unanimously.”

Angdembe said that he was in favor of consensus. ‘When the party is weak and the challenges are increasing, the party leader should be made unanimously and a message of consensus should be given,’ he said, ‘If the effort is not successful, the candidate is not empty, it is a matter of going through the process.’