As the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) holds its ongoing general convention in Kathmandu, leaders from Chitwan have entered the race for key positions within the party. A total of twelve leaders from the district are contesting for senior leadership roles as well as seats in the party’s central bodies.
At the top level, Ram Bahadur Thapa, widely known as “Badal,” is competing for the post of vice-chair, while Surendra Pandey is contesting for the position of general secretary. Thapa is aligned with the faction led by party chair KP Sharma Oli, whereas Pandey is contesting from the group led by Ishwar Pokharel.
The competition from Chitwan extends beyond senior leadership posts. Ten leaders from the district are in the race for membership in the party’s Central Committee. Candidates for the Central Committee include former Politburo member Devi Prasad Gyawali; former central committee members Parvati Rawal, Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, Jagannath Thapaliya, Yam Bahadur Pariyar, Kapil Prasad Pokharel, and Prabha Baral; former district chair Ram Prasad Neupane; youth leader Nisha Adhikari; and party leader Purushottam Neupane.
Under the party’s representation framework, Rawal is contesting from the women’s open category, Neupane from the Bagmati Province open category, Adhikari from the Bagmati Province youth category, and Baral from the Bagmati Province women’s category. The remaining candidates are competing under the open Central Committee category.
Meanwhile, Krishna Prasad Bhurtel and Krishna Prasad Silwal, both from Chitwan, have filed their candidacies for membership in the party’s Disciplinary Commission.
As the UML general convention moves toward finalizing its leadership structure, the participation of multiple candidates from Chitwan highlights the district’s active role in the party’s internal political process.
