Rise of new leaders on the basis of popularity and merit signals change in Nepali Congress
The 14th General Conference of the Nepali Congress (NC) was quite different from the previous conferences. The NC is seen as a party that maintains the status quo, but the election results to fill its office bearers after five and a half years have rekindled hopes of revival. Although Sher Bahadur Deb, one who leads both the party and the government, will continue as the NC president for another term, the votes polled by Mr Deuba’s rival Shekhar Koirala are signs of change. Dynastic politics has often tried to influence the psyche of the members of the NC party. But this time the votes seem to be in favor of merit and popularity rather than the fixed position of some leaders.
rise of a new leader
The Koirala family was divided in support of Shekhar Koirala. He is not a successor unlike Shashank Koirala (son of BP Koirala) or Prakash Man Singh and Bimalendra Nidhi. It should be noted that the creditworthiness of the latter two is not determined solely by the inheritance of their father; They also have their own trajectory as leaders. Still, Mr. Singh and Mr. Nidhi could not claim their leadership; Conversely, in the second round, he made a U-turn by backing Mr. Deuba, against whom he stood as the presidential candidate. Presumably, they did not want Mr. Shekhar Koirala to emerge as the leader of the party who is junior to him in politics and experience.
Yet, seniority alone does not matter in politics; Popular support, charisma, a sense of direction, vision and courage are all elements of leadership. The votes polled by Mr. Singh and Mr. Nidhi were much less than the votes cast by Mr. Deuba and Mr. Shekhar Koirala, who garnered more than 35% of the total votes, despite being dropped by their own family members. And so, Mr. Shekhar Koirala has now emerged as a leader after Mr. Deuba. However, how active he is able to energize the party with his vision and mobilization ability, needs to be seen.
The results also show that the era of dynasty in Nepali politics is over. Neither Mr Deuba nor the two general secretaries – Gagan Thapa and Vishwa Prakash Sharma – are from dynastic backgrounds.
The appeal of the Left continues to dwindle because it has little direction and is torn by division. What is left is the hollow slogan of Maoism, Leninism and ‘nationalism’, a euphemism for anti-India and anti-imperialist. Unlike various communist groups, the NC is seen as a credible, liberal force for democracy. Thus, it needs to play the role of democratizing society and politics by turning it into a credible and dynamic democratic party.
In any politics, the role of leadership is crucial for change, especially since the policies and programs for change need to be implemented by the leadership. We have seen how the architects of modern India laid the foundation of democracy. We have also seen how leaders like Donald Trump can shake the established democratic system with their authoritarian tendencies. Therefore, Mr. Deuba and other leaders elected on the basis of his popularity must work together to make the party people-centric and election-winning.
challenges over time
The NC has faced many challenges over the years: it had to struggle first against the ‘monarchy’, then against the monarchy and also for its very existence. Determined to put an end to the existence of the NC, King Mahendra declared his rule “party-less”, but failed to fulfill his mission. Instead, the coup he launched against the first elected NC government in 1960 proved fatal for his rule decades later, and ultimately for the monarchy itself. The NC now faces the challenge of pseudo-communists, whose political identities are blurred and who still claim to be fully democratic. Can the NC stand up to the Communists with its new agenda of transformation or will it continue as a status quo party?
The new agenda set by the Young Turks marks a departure from the previous style of party running. Since the NC is a people-based party, its renewal can be possible only if it is in regular touch with the people and their concerns and aspirations. New leaders capable of overcoming the polarization within the party must be projected as the faces of the upcoming national, provincial and local elections. They can create a positive public impact because they were chosen on the basis of popularity and merit. Mr Deuba can reshape the image of the party if he prepares to set the new agenda of the party with the support of young energetic leaders to take the NC to new heights.
Lok Raj Baral is Professor of Political Science and former Ambassador of Nepal to India
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