NEPAL: More Women Seeking Space in Nepali Congress

For the first time in its history the Nepali Congress will see a long queue of women participants in the 12th general convention. As many as 500 women representatives selected from village and regional level conventions and under reserved quotas are participating in the conclave.

At present, only seven women have their access in the NC central committee. But, the 12th general convention will elect at least 13 women in the party's top body, the central committee. As per the new and amended party statute, six women will be elected in open seats and two each from the indigenous, dalit and Madhesi communities. Similarly, party president will appoint a woman in the central committee.

NC leader and candidate of the general secretary in the 12th general convention Narahari Acharya said efforts are on to make the party more inclusive. Of late, there was a maximum pressure from the party grass root level for making the NC more inclusive.

Similarly, the women leaders have also been vying in the top level as well. Of them, central committee member Sujata Koirala has announced her nomination for the general secretary in the convention.

Leader Koirala has been saying that she filed her candidacy for the post of general secretary in order to change the party as per the time.

"My candidacy for the post of general secretary represents the spirit of woman and youth," she said.

Similarly, Chitra Lekha Yadav, an intellectual and untiring woman leader in the Nepali Congress, has said she would file her candidacy for the post of treasurer in the party. The candidacy of leader Yadav who chose Tarai as her constituency for building her political background has been taken positively.

Meanwhile, Sita Devi Yadav has been elected party president in Siraha, first in the six decades of the party a woman was elected the district president. Her husband, Chandra Narayan Yadav, was killed excruciatingly by the rebel Maoist.

So far, the women leaders to announce their candidacies for the central members in the party are Mina Pandey, Kamala Pant, Suprabha Ghimire, Ambika Basnet, Uma Regmi, Sharada Poudel, Ishwori Neupane, Shanta Shama, Kalyani Rijal, Krishna Amatya, Nirmala Prasai, Anita Devkota, Rita Khanal, Uma Dahal, Kanta Rijal, Indra Karki, Rukmini Koirala, Mahalaxmi Upadhyay, Pushpa Bhushal, and Jaya Pathak, among others.

For the two posts of central members from the dalit community, Laxmi Pariyar, Kavita Sardar, Sirjana Pariyar, Asha BK have announced their candidacy. Similarly, Usha Gurung, Subaran Sherchan, Mahendra Subba, Sita Gurung, Ratna Gurung and others have also filed their candidacies for central members.

Leader Uma Regmi said the 12th general convention of the party was at a juncture where the old generation has given way to the second generation to take leadership.

The convention will steer the party to adopt collective leadership thereby invigorating the party organisation.

Similarly, Central member Meena Pandey expressed her view that the 12th general convention of the Nepali Congress was not only important for the party but also to the nation.

"The party following the convention will be more inclusive and proportional," she claimed.

Another leader Usha Kala Rai also echoed Pandey's views, saying there will be enthusiastic participation of women, dalit and Madhesi in the party after the general convention.