Nepal challenges Oli for party chairmanship race

KAVRE: CPN-UML senior leader Madhav Kumar Nepal on Monday has openly challenged to party leaders KP Oli and Bam Dev Gautam to contest in the election for the party chairmanship.

Senior leader Nepal announced that he will contesting for the top post of the party in the upcoming general convention, scheduled for June. “If anyone has guts, I challenge them to face me,” he said.

After a new found equation between Oli and Gautam has apparently cornered senior leader Nepal, with a claim that he served as the party general secretary for a long and cannot do justice to the top post now. Nepal had supported Chairman Jhala Nath Khanal in the Parliamentary Party elections.

Addressing the closing ceremony of UML-affiliated Youth Association Nepal (YAN) in Dhulikhel, the district headquarters of Kavrepalanchok, the former prime minister said, “I dared to challenge the then King Gyanendra and leader Girija Prasad Koirala. I’m always ready to contend in any election.”

Striking back at Oli and Gautam, he went on to say that they cannot lead the party effectively.

Backed by Gautam since the election for the PP leadership, Oli has been staking claim over the party chairmanship.

Gautam, who is also a powerful deputy prime minister in the Nepali Congress-led coalition government, has said either Oli or he would be the party’s new chairman.