Kathmandu, February 28
After becoming the first President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav had to distance himself from party politics. His presidential stint is over, but it is still not easy for the former president to get into politics. Nonetheless, he continues to wield considerable influence in his party, the Nepali Congress.
As the Congress gears up for its 13th general convention, Dr Yadav has his task cut out: Getting his son, Chandra Mohan Yadav, elected as the party’s treasurer. From his base at the state-provided residence in Lalitpur, the former head of the state is doing just that.
A Congress leader says: “A former president should not play any role in the NC’s general convention. But the Ram Baran factor is very much there in the Congress.”
Also a former general secretary of the NC, Dr Yadav had brought his son to politics while he was the first President of the federal republic of Nepal. Chandra Mohan is now a directly-elected Member of the Parliament.
Dr Yadav was President during the Congress’ 12th GC. At that time also, he faced charges of seeking votes for Sushil Koirala from Sital Niwas, the President’s Office. Yadav is said to wield considerable influence within the NC now as well. The Madhesh factor is decisive in the Congress election and Yadav wields considerable influence in Madhesh.
According to Congress sources, this time, Chandra Mohan is trying to contest the race for party treasurer. He wants to contest the poll from the panel of NC’s Acting President Ram Chandra Poudel, who is trying to contest the race for the NC presidency as the candidate of the NC establishment faction.
Chandra Mohan does not want to speak up about his ambition because he is yet to become an NC GC representative, for which an election is taking place in his constituency, Dhanusha-5, on Monday.
Busy with the election preparations, Chandra Mohan told Onlinekhabar: Let me be GC representative first. “Will think about and talk about the GC later on.”
Former president Yadav is supporting Ramchandra this time, though he has not supported the latter. Dr Yadav has never been close to Sher Bahadur Deuba, another NC candidate for the top post. And he is angry with Krishna Sitaula for his role in the promulgation of the constitution. So, Yadav will be supporting the Ramchandra panel.
He is negotiating with Ramchandra in a bid to have his son elected as party treasurer. According to a source, the ex-president will openly support Ramchandra if the latter agrees on his plan (to field Chandra Mohan as a candidate for the post of NC treasurer).
