Major political parties hold meetings focusing on

Narayan Neupane / Kathmandu, Feb 23: Major political parties held meetings and gatherings amidst the winter session of the Federal Parliament. Those gatherings were primarily focused on framing strategies and exploring ways for garnering a majority in the upcoming (2084 BS) parliamentary elections. Through such sittings, political parties endorsed resolutions for establishing political stability and bringing prosperity to the nation.

The three major political parties: the ruling Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the major opposition CPN-UML introduced the respective political, organizational, policy-level and economic proposals and formulated ‘ambitious’ plans to secure a majority in the upcoming elections.

Not only these major political parties but lately emerged Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) also has come up with the Mission-2084 campaign, targeting the next parliamentary election going to be held in 2084 BS. The party has launched a pressure-exerting campaign, seeking the acceleration of delayed projects.

In the Nepali Congress Mahasamiti meeting that concluded on Thursday, party General Secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, expressed his hope that the party will emerge as the largest party through the upcoming election. The party said it is determined to reach provinces, districts, each electoral constituency, local levels, settlements, communities and the people’s door steps with strategies, policies and programs that the mega gathering endorsed targeting the 2084 BS parliamentary elections.

It is learned that meetings and gatherings of major parties spent time to discuss about intra-party affairs, discipline, people’s expectations and opinions towards them and future course of action.

As the party claimed, those events concluded with the commitment to contributing additionally to achieve political stability, enact laws and implement people’s-centric programmes.

CPN (UML) leader Hemrai Rai during the party’s three-day Central Committee meeting that concluded on Thursday, said the party received submissions with potential ways for further strengthening the party by putting an end to organizational ‘anarchy. As he said, an upcoming meeting of the party Secretariat will present a synthesized report regarding the submissions.

He also took time to accuse the government of overlooking the people’s problems. As he said, the incumbent government has failed to control price rises and the supplies of goods in the black market. As he said, the government policies and decisions regarding nationality, development and economic aspects are weak.

The central gathering also agreed to implement the ideologies endorsed and directed by the 10th General Convention and to be strict against indiscipline and anarchy seen within the party. The party has planned to effectively launch the ‘mission grassroots’ campaign, he said.

“Political and ideological clarity and the common understanding of the goals are necessary to meet the objectives of Mission-84,” he asserted.

It may be noted that the party in last December, held the political campaign targeting the mid-hill highway zone and during the campaign, UML leaders interacted with the communities in 26 districts along the highway.

Meanwhile, the CPN (Maoist Centre) had launched a four-month ‘ Maoist with People’s transformation campaign’ beginning on September 2, 2023. According to party Chief Whip Hitaraj Pandey, the recent meeting reviewed the ripple of the transformation campaign deeply.

The CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Statute Convention and the Central Committee meeting were concluded a few days back and presently Standing Committee meeting is underway. According to Pandey, those two meetings held a critical review over multiple dimensions within the party.

The meeting decided to motivate those who deliver for the party and to seek explanation from those not delivering satisfactorily or to take action those who do not perform well on the assigned responsibilities, he said.

Although the statute convention is being held regularly or routinely, the meeting decided to cut down the number of party committees. The decision was made to correct the tendency and character of those leaders and cadres of the party who prefer to secure a berth for themselves in the higher committees of the party, but find it difficult to deliver in the field among the people.

The CPN (Maoist) is going to organize the Tarai-Madhesh Awareness campaign from March 14-28 this year because the party has tremendous potential and scope in the Tarai-Madhesh belt.

The campaign will see the participation of party chairperson as well as office-bearers and will begin from Jhapa district and run through Kanchanpur district, said Chief Whip Pandey.

Similarly, the party is launching the Himal-Pahad-Tarai Madhesh National Unity Campaign. Emphasis will be laid on making party cadres and leaders more responsible and ensuring the party’s outreach among the people. Chief Whip Pandey opined that people were concerned whether their priorities and expectations would be addressed in budgeting.

The major motto of the campaign is to identify the problems and address the needs of the people by connecting the party with the people, he said. It is expected that the campaign would help put an end to the narrative in the Nepali society-‘All political parties and leaders are same’- he expressed his belief.

“People had cast their ballot to the party in 2064 BS’s election since the party had remained close to people during people’s movement and prominently raised the issues concerning oppressed, underprivileged communities, geographically backward communities and fulfillment of duties and compliance with the disciplines were put to practice. Now it is believed that the campaign would be worthwhile to improve the situation of lack of adherence to discipline and division within the party,” he observed.

Nepali Congress leader Rajendra Kumar KC commented that the party received suggestions and advises from Mahasamiti to adopt future policies and strategies to address contemporary political issues and to establish the party as a popular one among the people.

“It is normal to have ideological conflict and churning of ideas in a democratic party. Members presented their ideas from viewpoint regarding what kind of strategies and programmes should be implemented by the party to make it stronger,” he shared.

Discussions were held from various angles about the steps to be taken by the party for good governance and prosperity at the time when the country was in economic crisis, said leader KC, adding that a lot of discussions were held in the meeting on a wide range of issues about agriculture, livelihood, employment, strengthening economy among others.

NC was suggested to proceed concretely while optimizing natural resources in the country considering agriculture as a base, mobilizing the resources of tourism development and employing/re-integrating returnee Nepali migrant workers.

The meeting also decided that NC would adopt policy to implement above-mentioned agendas and to direct the incumbent government of which it is also a coalition partner to adopt similar policies.

The party concluded that the incumbent coalition government, entering the electoral alliance for the last parliamentary election in 2022, should last as a stable government for the next four years.

The Mahasmiti meeting, lasting four days and attended by over 2,200 delegates, has expressed its commitment to give continuous support and endorsement to the incumbent government to ensure good governance and prosperity in the country.

The three major political parties, given the upcoming parliamentary elections, have decided to adopt strategies to reach out to the public through various campaigns.

Likewise, Janata Samajbadi Party’s leader Nawal Kishore Shah Sudi said Thursday’s meeting of the CEC discussed holding an upcoming national convention in Janakpur, the capital city of Madhesh Province by mid-June this year, apart from major issues and agendas of the party and people. RSS