Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Wednesday won the crucial party election, becoming the president of the ruling Nepali Congress for a second consecutive term, defeating his nearest rival Shekhar Koirala from the country’s influential Koirala family. With this win, Deuba is all set to lead the country’s oldest democratic party in the next general elections due next year. 

The five-time prime minister secured 2733 votes during the ongoing general convention of the Nepali Congress, defeating Shekhar Koirala, cousin of the former prime minister GP Koirala. "In the second round of voting, a total of 4623 votes were cast. Out of these, only 4588 votes were valid," the party election committee was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. 

Deuba’s win came during a run-off after none of the five candidates, who had filed nominations, secured support from half of the total delegates’ votes in the first round. His opponents in the party, who had earlier promised to get the party rid of Deuba, later supported his bid, in exchange for the promises of changes in the party by Deuba. 

In July this year, Deuba became the country’s prime minister after a ruling by the country’s apex court. Although Deuba’s government ended the year-long political instability in the country over the government formation, his government, which is banking on a coalition of smaller parties, later came under criticism as Deuba struggled for months to expand his cabinet. 

With his re-election to the party president, the party insiders and experts said the grand old party once again lost an opportunity for the much-needed transformation and generation change, reported The Kathmandu Post. For months now, a section of the party has been demanding the transfer of the leadership to the younger generation of the party cadre. 

In 2017, under Deuba’s leadership, the Nepali Congress faced a drubbing in the last general elections, which was swept by the left parties. However, the infighting— and subsequent splits in the left parties— gave a surprising chance to Deuba to lead the government. 

“The ongoing election has created bitterness in the party so the first and foremost challenge for Deuba will be to unite the party,” Mahesh Acharya, a senior Nepali Congress leader and former finance minister, was quoted as saying by The Kathmandu Post. “Factionalism has been the bane for the Nepali Congress and it must end,” he added. 

(SAM)