More than 200 Members of Parliament of the Nepali Congress on Wednesday will vote to elect its Parliamentary Party leader with party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel vying for the post. 

The NC has 206 Members of Parliament.

The party on Wednesday will see the two leaders pitted against each other once again in the last one month, as both Deuba and Poudel had contested for the party presidency during party’s 13th General Convention in the first week of March, in which Deuba had secured a comfortable win over Poudel. 

Both the leaders filed their candidacies for PP leader on Tuesday pledging implementation of the constitution and party unity.  Deuba’s candidacy was proposed by Farmulha Mansur and seconded by Padma Narayan Chaudhary, while Poudel’s candidacy was proposed by former general secretary Prakash Man Singh and seconded by General Secretary Shashank Koirala. 

Mansur and Chaudhary had switched side to join the Deuba camp ahead of party’s 13th GC. 

Speaking to the media after filing his candidacy, Deuba said that he “wants to be elected the PP leader to implement the constitution and address Madhes issues”. 

“My second priority will be ending factional politics and cementing party unity,” he said.  Poudel also said that he filed his candidacy to “resolve the internal disputes in the party”. 

He added that he would work for allocating responsibility to the leaders in an equitable way. 

In the election for party presidency, Deuba had defeated Poudel by more than 500 votes. Out of 3,120 votes cast, Deuba had secured 1,822 votes while Poudel garnered 1,296.

“Elections are part of democratic process, and I am ready to accept the outcome,” Poudel said.

The NC on Monday amended its PP statute, paving the way for the election of its PP leader, a position which has been lying vacant after the death of former party president Sushil Koirala in February.  Deuba had lost to the late Sushil Koirala in the last PP election by 16 votes, with Deuba getting 89 against Koirala’s 105 votes. 

But Deuba supporters claim that over a dozen parliamentarians have since “change the camp”. 

Monday’s statute amendment also aims to make the party’s organisational structures more inclusive in line with the newly adopted constitution. 

A three-member committee led by Central Working Committee Ramesh Rijal has been formed for the PP leader election. After electing its PP leader, the NC will hold the election for the PP working committee. 

The new provision in the PP statute has ensured representation of seven federal units instead of the five development regions in the PP working committee. The amendment has also ensured representation 15 members from inclusive quota—both in election and nomination. 

"I filed my candidacy to resolve internal disputes. I want to ensure responsibility for all in an equal manner "

                                                  Ram Chandra Poudel

"I want to be elected the PP leader to implement the constitution and address Madhes issues "

                                                Sher Bahadur Deuba