NC On Track To Restore Its Glory?

With the slogan “New Congress, New Resolve”, the 15th general convention of Nepali Congress (NC), the main opposition in the House of Representatives (HoR), has kicked off in Kathmandu since Sunday (October 4). Through this convention, the party aims to restore its popular base and emerge as a more energetic force by transferring leadership and coming up with renewed policies and commitments. The incumbent leadership also intends to give new life to the party by making it more inclusive, transparent and robust. 

The oldest democratic party of the country was gradually losing its appeal among people, especially young ones, due to its obsolete leadership and inability to perform what was desirable. With the growth of unwanted culture of nepotism and favouritism within NC, the party was not so democratic when it came to promoting internal democracy. Even its rival parties used to raise that matter in their forums time and again. Such anomalies started giving rise to frustrations and feuds among the party’s genuine leaders and cadres.  

Tainted reputation

After the general elections of 1991, NC has almost continuously remained in power in one way or the other. But successive governments formed even under its leadership have been blamed for their underperformance. Some of its leaders were found guilty of corruption and other criminal cases as well. This has tainted the reputation of the party as a whole. Though the party is claimed to have been guided by the principle of Democratic Socialism (as propounded by the party’s founder B.P. Koirala), its economic policy seems to have deviated from its ideal. 

The party’s government was responsible for selling several public enterprises at dirt-cheap prices in the name of privatisation. Many still call it a flawed policy that the party should not have adopted. The party appears to have preferred neoliberal policy over its initial socialism-oriented policy. As economic, social, political and other issues are high on the agenda of the general convention, the party is expected to review its policies, plans and strategies as per the need of the changing present context.