Ethnic organisations close to Nepali Congress look poised to retake the leadership of the Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (Nefin) with backing from the faction loyal to other political forces in the ruling alliance, while a camp close to UML is teaming up with various ethnic groups to upset the apple cart.

Nefin’s extended ninth general convention, which is taking place in Chitwan, is likely to elect new office bearers by Wednesday morning.

Janajati organisations close to the NC, who on Monday decided to form a new alliance breaking ‘a gentlemen’s agreement’ with UML to rotate leadership, reached an agreement with the CPN (Maoist Center) and Sanghiya Samajwadi Forum Nepal to field consensus candidate for key post of office bearers on Tuesday.

Nefin Chairman Nagendra Kumal, who is also a Constituent Assembly member nominated under NC quota, said his camp has picked Jagat Baram for the top post, SSF-N leader Nityananda Tajpuriya for the position of General Secretary and Maoist leader Mukunda Pahari to the position of treasurer.

UML alongside some other ethic organizations has picked Surya Bahadur Bujel as their candidate for the top post. The convention will elect a 13-member federal secretariat comprising a chairperson, five vice-chairpersons, a general secretary, five secretaries and a treasurer. More than 420 representatives from 71 district councils and 22 countries are participating in the convention.

Both camps have presented themselves as the favorite for the election that is scheduled to take place on Tuesday night.

“Pledge of support from the CPN (Maoist Center) and SSF-N have made us clear frontrunner for top position. Moreover, several ethnic groups have also given their assurance for support,” said Kumal.

Nefin General Secretary Pemba Bhote, who is a Constituent Assembly member from UML quota, said the opposition camp has still a solid chance to win this election.

“Reports coming in news reports are partially true. It’s true that friends close to NC are unlikely to support us. But that won’t make a big difference for us,” said Bhote.  After NC’s supposed betrayal, UML leaders are wooing various apolitical ethnic organizations.

Each of Nefin’s 56 member organisations will have a single vote in the election process. It, however, remains unclear to what extent UML will be able exploit the support of neutral organizations and whether that would be enough to win.

Longstanding infighting between the powerful ethic communities and marginalized group is likely to prove crucial in the election.

Nefin has a long history of infighting between the powerful ethnic communities, popularly known as Group-8 (G-8) and excluded and marginalized ethnic communities. The G-8 consists of ethnic communities, most of them with more than 1 million population, including Tharu, Tamang, Sherpa, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Newar and Limbu. Marginalized and minority communities such as Kumal, Baram, Satar, Helmu, Rampuri, Chepang and Kusunda have accused the G-8 of dominating the Nefin leadership ever since it was formed.

Though an autonomous and politically non-partisan organisation, Nefin holds significance for political parties due to its well-laid grass-roots network across the country and huge influence on the ethnic communities, that constitutes more than a third of total vote base.  The deepening row among parties over the key issues including federalism has made the organisation even more important at present.