As All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), the student wing of the CPN (Maoist Centre), votes to elect new leadership on Saturday, some of the contenders have questioned the impartiality of the election committee.

The election committee had slated Tuesday as the nomination day while the final list of the contenders was published on Friday evening. However, the student leaders say the election committee under an influence is working to favour the candidates close to party chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

“At one point rumours were spread that some leaders including me were withdrawing. When the final list was published, some names were missing while some others had been changed,” Sudin Paudel, one of the contenders for the union chair, told the Post.

“The way the election committee is functioning gives ample room to suspect its impartiality. We are cautiously watching.”

As per the final list, five student leaders are vying for the union’s chair. Along with Paudel, Bijay Prakash Sharma Sapkota, Upadesh Kumar Yadav, Yogendra Bahadur Budha and Hemanta Rai are the chairperson candidates. Hours after the list was published, Budha withdrew from the race. He has announced to back Sapkota.

Name of Bishwa Mani Thapa, who also had filed his candidacy, is missing while Roshan Khadka, who had filed nominations as general secretary, is now a vice-chair candidate.

While withdrawing the candidacy is possible, change of the position is against the election rules, say student leaders. Dahal wants Sapkota’s panel to win the race and has assigned party secretary Shakti Basnet to ensure the victory.

“Basnet is working to manipulate the elections at any cost,” said a student leader. Former attorney general Mukti Narayan Shrestha, who chairs the election committee, also has a soft corner towards Dahal, he claimed.

Yadav is backed by the party’s vice-chair Narayan Kaji Shrestha. Paudel is close to party deputy general secretary Barshaman Pun while the other deputy general secretary, Janardan Sharma, backs Rai. Budha, on the other hand, is close to vice-chair Krishna Bahadur Mahara.

The elections are being held across the country on Saturday to elect a 243-member central committee with 33 office-bearers, 48 secretariat members and 162 central members.

The student wing of the main opposition party has long been preparing for its general convention to elect a new leadership. After some attempts to hold the national jamboree failed, the union first decided to vote on whether to impose an age bar.

The union decided to set 32 years as the maximum age limit for its members. The voting, however, was not without controversy. In several districts, some student leaders claimed more votes than the total number of those cast. Pradhan was the chief of the election committee then as well.

“The party headquarters wanted an age limit after knowing that its favourite will not get elected,” said a student leader who became ineligible due to the age limit. “The foul play can be clearly sensed now as well.”

A Moaist Centre leader, who follows the developments, said Dahal wants his favourite to win the election. He [Sapkota] losing the elections would mean the party supremo is losing the grip on party wings.

“The Dahal faction would have been in trouble had his rival factions consted jointly. As five panels are in the race, Sapkota has a high chance of winning,” he said.