While the ruling Nepali Congress is gearing up to decide in favour of an electoral alliance with the ruling coalition partners for the upcoming elections, top Congress leaders on Monday engaged in a heated debate on whether the party should partner with communists, especially the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).

After the opponents of the electoral alliance questioned the leadership that the party could face moral questions if they forged an electoral alliance with the Maoists, party president Sher Bahadur Deuba had a tough time answering them.

Addressing the ongoing Central Working Committee meeting on Monday leader Shekhar Koirala, who had lost the party presidency to Deuba in the latest 14th general convention, had said Congress should not back the Maoists by ignoring its policy and principles.

Koirala also warned the party leadership against foisting the headquarter’s decision on electoral alliance on the lower rungs of the party.

“First we must be clear why we need an alliance,” a leader quoted Koirala as saying at the meeting. “What will happen if we impose an alliance on our local committees from the centre against their wishes?”

But party president Deuba tried to convince the leaders saying that an electoral alliance was necessary to ensure that all Congress leaders win the polls.

According to a leader present at the meeting, Deuba had countered Koirala saying leaders need not teach him the principles of the Congress party because he had devoted his entire life serving the party.

“How can I break the principles of Congress? Did I bring the Maoists [to power] or did they bring me [to power]? Why didn't you question Girija Babu earlier?” a leader quoted Deuba as telling Koirala. “How can you say that I have given the Maoists a piggyback?”

Deuba also claimed that many Congress leaders including Koirala lost the last federal elections because Congress had not formed alliances with other parties and he himself had won with much difficulty so forging an alliance would benefit Congress.

Not only Koirala and Deuba but the two general secretaries of the party were also sharply divided over the idea of an electoral alliance.

During the meeting, party general secretary Gagan Thapa had opposed Deuba’s proposal saying Congress could lose its voters if the party asked them to vote for other parties.

However, another general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma, who had lost to Maoist leader Ram Karki in the last federal elections, supported the idea of electoral alliance along with senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, who was also defeated in the last federal elections from his hometown Tanahun. According to a leader, Sharma argued that alliances should be forged on a needs basis learning from the drubbing the party faced in the last elections.

Those opposing an electoral alliance included party vice-president Dhanraj Gurung, joint general secretary Jeevan Pariyar, and Badri Pande among others.

Leaders including Gurung had urged the party to begin a probe into corruption cases including that of the previous government instead of forging electoral alliance which he said will detract Congress voters.

On the third day of the ongoing Central Working Committee meeting, the Congress party concluded deliberations on electoral alliance among the coalition partners for the upcoming local polls scheduled for May 13.

The party, however, will come up with a formal decision in favour of electoral alliance on Tuesday, according to party insiders. They said Deuba commands a majority in the Central Working Committee so his decision will prevail.

“We will decide from the meeting scheduled for 3pm tomorrow,” said Prakash Sharan Mahat, spokesperson of the party. “Deliberations have concluded today.”

However, the party is yet to finalise the nitty gritty of the electoral alliance with the coalition partners–Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party–as most Congress leaders have said the local committees of the party should be allowed to make decisions on a needs basis.

Although some Congress leaders speaking at the meeting viewed that electoral alliance could harm the party in the long run, most leaders spoke in favour of an alliance saying it would keep the existing coalition intact and keep the communists divided.

While Deuba has been claiming that Maoist chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal could join hands with the main opposition CPN-UML in the elections if Congress ignored the offer for alliance, Congress dissidents say Deuba is more driven by his desire to secure his next term as prime minister than safeguard the long-term future of the party.

Speaking at the party meeting Monday, Home Minister Balkrishna Khand had revealed that the ruling coalition partners had reached an agreement for electoral alliance even before the formation of the government under Deuba’s leadership.

After some Congress leaders including vice-president Gurung and general secretary Thapa spoke publicly against the idea of electoral alliance and Maoist Centre chair Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) chair Madhav Nepal subsequently demanded Deuba to come up with an official decision on the issue, Deuba had called the Central Working Committee last week.

Despite some opposition against the idea of electoral alliance, the party will decide in favour, according to leaders.

“On Tuesday, the party will come up with a formal decision in favour of an electoral alliance,” said Jeevan Pariyar, joint general secretary of the party.