Author: space4knews

March 9, Kathmandu. After the formation of the new House of Representatives, Hark Sampang is known as the individual who frequently issues warnings to the RASWAP-led government both inside and outside the parliament. Sampang, who is also the president of the Labor Culture Party, often raises questions on social media about the government’s and RASWAP’s conduct. Despite his party sitting on the opposition benches, RASWAP has decided to support the Labor Culture Party’s candidate for Deputy Speaker.

For the first time entering parliament as a new force, the Labor Culture Party has been awarded the prestigious post of Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives.

With seven MPs, the party’s candidate Rubi Kumari Thakur is almost certain to secure the Deputy Speaker post because with RASWAP’s support, she garners backing from over two-thirds of the House members.

RASWAP General Secretary Kavindra Burlakoti has confirmed that the alliance among transformative forces after the new elections has resulted in RASWAP supporting the Labor Culture Party.

Since RASWAP holds the Speaker position in the House of Representatives, constitutional provisions require that the Deputy Speaker be from another party and gender group. Based on this, RASWAP engaged in dual deliberations regarding whether to support the Labor Culture Party or the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).

RPP parliamentary leader Gyanendra Bahadur Shahi met with RASWAP Chairperson Ravi Lamichhane a few days ago to discuss support for the Deputy Speaker candidate. On Thursday, Shahi said he had another discussion with Lamichhane, where he received assurances of support for RPP. Following this, RPP leaders convened a meeting to nominate Saraswati Lama as their candidate for Deputy Speaker.

Meanwhile, RASWAP also was in dialogue with the Labor Culture Party. Hark Sampang held talks with Prime Minister and senior RASWAP leader Balendra Shah. While the RPP meeting was ongoing, RASWAP leaders including Kavindra Burlakoti held discussions with the Labor Culture Party. RASWAP has stated that it was during these discussions that the decision to support the Labor Culture Party was finalized.

When RPP leaders arrived to register the candidacy of Saraswati Lama, Labor Culture Party MPs including Rubi Kumari Thakur were waiting with nomination forms. RPP initially submitted Saraswati Lama’s candidacy with their own MPs as proposers and supporters. Later, RASWAP’s Kavindra Burlakoti and Labor Culture Party’s Aren Rai, who were part of the negotiations, also came to the registration site and registered Thakur’s nomination as second proposer.

After registering the candidacy based on RASWAP’s assurance, RPP parliamentary leader Shahi questioned Chairperson Lamichhane, asking why such support had been promised. Speaking to journalists at the parliamentary secretariat after the nomination, Shahi said, “We will see how much of his words are fulfilled.”

However, Shahi acknowledged that since RASWAP has formally endorsed Rubi Kumari Thakur, she is nearly certain to become Deputy Speaker. With RASWAP and Labor Culture Party combined, there are 189 seats in the House of Representatives, which amounts to more than two-thirds majority.

Decision Made Just 10 Minutes Prior

On Wednesday night, RASWAP General Secretary Kavindra Burlakoti held conversation with Labor Culture Party Chairman Sampang. On Thursday morning, RASWAP Chairperson Lamichhane called RPP parliamentary leader Gyanendra Shahi with the same message—“Please file your candidacy. We desire representation of the indigenous nationalities cluster in the Deputy Speaker post.”

The CPN did not receive such a message and subsequently decided not to put forward their candidate for Deputy Speaker, despite initially claiming the position. Meanwhile, RSP and RASWAP were deliberating over their candidates.

RPP had initially planned to nominate Khushbu Oli. After RASWAP Chairperson Lamichhane requested a candidate from the indigenous nationalities cluster, Khushbu was convinced and Saraswati Lama was nominated as the candidate.

Similarly, the Labor Culture Party originally intended Ambika Devi Sangraula as their candidate, but following RASWAP’s request for a candidate from the indigenous cluster, they decided to nominate Rubi Kumari Thakur after consultation.

Both RPP and RASWAP had understood that they would support each other during the vote and were preparing accordingly.

However, both RPP and Labor Culture Party were ‘surprised’ during the process of candidate registration.

While the RPP candidates were registering, Thakur of the Labor Culture Party was waiting for her turn. As RPP leaders were taking photos post-registration, Labor Culture Party General Secretary Aren Rai and RASWAP General Secretary Kavindra Burlakoti arrived together. Burlakoti announced the decision to support Thakur.

Following that, Aren Rai acted as proposer, with RASWAP’s Ashok Chaudhary and Labor Culture Party’s Ambika Devi Sangraula as supporters for Thakur’s nomination.

Burlakoti admitted that the decision was reached at the last moment. He mentioned that the CPN and RPP had also sought to put forward candidates for Deputy Speaker.

According to Burlakoti, “There were proposals from the CPN at the cross meetings. We accepted some and rejected others. This decision was finalized just 10 minutes ago. We were waiting to see who would file nomination. We had not promised anyone earlier.”

He further explained that when they entered the nomination office, only a few minutes remained before the 2 pm deadline.

“As time was running out, officials from the parliamentary secretariat and others had said it would still be possible to submit nominations after entering inside the door,” he added.

Despite the last-minute nature of the decision, Burlakoti said it reflects the public sentiment.

He concluded, “There is public expectation that the party moves forward unitedly and we considered that. The Speaker’s post will be secured and the Deputy Speaker will be a person of younger age. The Constitutional Council will also appear inclusive.”

RPP Left Isolated

There are six parties in the House of Representatives. In the contest for the Deputy Speaker position, five parties stood together while RPP remained isolated.

The Nepal Communist Party, RPP, and Labor Culture Party all claimed the Deputy Speaker post and sought support from RASWAP. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML neither claimed the post nor urged RASWAP to support their candidate.

Due to the absence of a candidate nomination message from RASWAP, the opposition parties affiliated with the CPN engaged in dialogue. Mohan Acharya from Congress, Gurup Prasad Baral from UML, and Barshaman Pun from the Nepal Communist Party were involved in discussions. Labor Culture Party General Secretary Aren Rai also participated in these talks.

However, these four parties had not communicated with RPP. After RASWAP gave its support to RPP, all opposition parties except RPP decided to support Labor Culture Party’s candidate.

RPP had not initiated dialogue with other parties hoping for RASWAP’s support, and RPP parliamentary leader Shahi himself approached RASWAP for backing.

On March 5, Shahi went to meet RASWAP Chairperson Lamichhane at his residence. Following a phone call from Lamichhane, Shahi was initially enthusiastic.

However, after RASWAP ultimately decided to support the Labor Culture Party’s candidate, RPP found itself sidelined.

Similar to Shahi, Labor Culture Party Chairman Sampang was also in dialogue with top leaders of RASWAP. On March 6, Sampang met with Prime Minister Balendra Shah at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Ultimately, the Labor Culture Party has triumphed in securing the Deputy Speaker support.

With RASWAP’s backing, Rubi Kumari Thakur is ensured to become the Deputy Speaker. RASWAP alone has 182 MPs in the 275-member House. Nepali Congress holds 38 seats, CPN-UML 25, Nepal Communist Party 17, Labor Culture Party 7, and RPP 5.

26 Chaitra, Kathmandu – Mukul Chaudhary delivered a brilliant batting display, scoring a half-century to lead Lucknow Super Giants to a thrilling win against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026.

Chasing a target of 182 set by Kolkata, Lucknow achieved it on the final ball with 7 wickets down. Mukul remained unbeaten on 54 runs from 27 balls, including 3 fours and 7 sixes. Ayush Badoni also contributed significantly with 54 runs before being dismissed.

When Lucknow was 128/7 after 16 overs, requiring 54 runs off 24 balls, Mukul Chaudhary played a stunning innings to take the game to the last over. With 6 balls left and 14 runs needed, Vaibhav Arora came on to bowl.

On Arora’s first delivery, Avesh Khan took a single to give Mukul the strike. Mukul smashed a six on the second ball. The next two deliveries were dot balls. On the fifth ball, Mukul struck another six. The final delivery resulted in a bye, securing the win.

For Kolkata, Vaibhav Arora and Anukul Roy took 2 wickets each, while Cameron Green and Sunil Narine claimed one wicket apiece.

Earlier, Kolkata won the toss and chose to bat first, ending their innings at 181 runs for 4 wickets in 20 overs. Despite a solid start, Kolkata couldn’t capitalize fully towards the end.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi top-scored with 45 runs, captain Ajinkya Rahane made 41, Rovman Powell contributed 39, and Cameron Green remained unbeaten on 32.

Kolkata was well-placed at 99/1 after 11 overs but slipped to 111/4 by the 14th over, with Powell and Green stabilizing the innings to reach the final total.

For Lucknow, Prince Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth, Mohammed Shami, and Avesh Khan each took one wicket.

This victory marked Lucknow’s second win in three matches, while Kolkata remains winless after four games.

26 Chaitra, Kathmandu – After suffering an unexpected defeat in the House of Representatives elections held on 21st Falgun, the Nepali Congress is currently grappling with internal disputes.

Following the political unrest that began after the Genjiayan movement on 23rd and 24th Bhadra, the special general convention held at the end of Poush intensified internal factionalism, which has weakened the very roots of the Congress party. Although the Congress appears vibrant as the main opposition party in the House of Representatives, its foundation resembles a tree whose soil has dried up and lacks nourishment.

Amid internal strife, the Congress, preparing for its 15th general convention, has acknowledged the situation and adopted the ‘One Month to the Roots’ campaign as its core strategy to strengthen the party organization.

“Since our party’s election symbol is the tree, it is natural for us to feel close to the term ‘roots’,” stated General Secretary Pradeep Paudel about the campaign. “Currently, the tree looks somewhat desolate, with leaves fallen and appearing bare. Hence, we intend to apply fertilizer, water, and rejuvenate the tree through this campaign.”

Physical Presence Required for Membership Renewal

The Nepali Congress has appointed central representatives in all 77 districts. These representatives have been instructed to work directly within local levels. Preparatory orientation programs for the central representatives, who will take part in the month-long campaign starting from 1st Baisakh, have already been conducted.

“We have deployed representatives across 77 districts and have prepared their terms of reference (TOR),” explained General Secretary Paudel. “An official directive has also been issued.”

The central representatives will work in accordance with this directive. Through the ‘One Month to the Roots’ campaign, the Congress aims to make the digital ‘Congress ID’ mandatory, ensuring that all active members renew their memberships at the ward level, issue new memberships, and engage in dialogue with citizens.

“This campaign urges every member to renew their membership where they originally registered,” Paudel detailed. He also clarified that active members from the 14th general convention (except those under disciplinary action) will be eligible to renew their memberships.

“According to the party constitution, members not subject to disciplinary action can renew their active memberships,” he added. “There is no prohibition on members who do not wish to participate in this process.”

The party has established a clear guideline for the membership updating process. “Members must visit their local ward and express their intention to renew,” said Paudel. “After that, they will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) number which they will use to complete the renewal.”

All Renewing Members to Receive a ‘Congress ID’

The Congress is preparing to require forms to be filled out and photos taken for active members renewing their membership. The collection of phone numbers and photographs will be mandatory to gather comprehensive personal details of all active members.

Among the 866,000 active members from the 14th general convention, about 100,000 phone numbers and 25,000 to 30,000 photographs are missing from party records.

The party intends to mandate phone number collection from members to improve communication, coordination with the party structure, and information sharing.

“To digitalize Nepali Congress, accurate phone numbers and photographs are essential to correctly identify members,” Paudel stated. “The party has taken responsibility to update member records.”

After renewing active memberships, the party will send an OTP to the member’s mobile number, which will then enable issuance of the ‘Congress ID’.

“The OTP will be sent to the mobile number registered on the form, and the ‘Congress ID’ will be issued accordingly,” Paudel said. “Only those with a ‘Congress ID’ will be considered active members eligible to participate in ward-level conventions.”

Challenges from Active Members Not Voting

Longstanding factionalism and internal betrayal have weakened the Congress. The internal divisions appear linked to structural problems within the party, as evidenced by some active members failing to vote in recent elections.

Preliminary data shows that in 17 constituencies, candidates from the Congress received fewer votes than the number of active members, highlighting a serious challenge for the party.

“We need to review why members refrain from identifying themselves as party members socially or do not vote for party candidates,” said General Secretary Paudel.

Mandatory Member Participation in Shaping Party Vision

The Congress is focusing on boosting active member participation in forming the party’s vision while advancing digitalization efforts. This will facilitate members in contributing ideas and agendas more easily.

“We plan to select candidates through primary elections, which increases member responsibility,” Paudel explained. “Therefore, renewing active membership is necessary.”

The party is also preparing to distribute new memberships and establish a digital membership system.

“Central representatives have been informed at district and ward levels,” Paudel noted. “Additionally, technical assistants within the party structure are being engaged to progress this effort.”

From 1st Baisakh, the ‘One Month to the Roots’ campaign will mandate OTP acquisition and photo taking for membership renewal.

Chairperson Thapa to Lead Membership Renewal

Chairperson Gagan Kumar Thapa will initiate the active membership renewal process. On the first day of the campaign, 1st Baisakh, he will visit his electoral ward to renew his membership.

According to Chairperson Thapa, he holds active membership in Kathmandu Metropolitan City-29. All office bearers, former office bearers, and central committee members are required to renew their memberships within their wards by the end of Baisakh.

A statement released on 21st Chaitra reads, “All party members at every level must personally visit their respective wards to renew memberships by Baisakh. Only those with updated membership will receive the Congress ID and be eligible to participate in the 15th general convention.”

Additional Organizational Aspects of the Campaign

Alongside membership renewal, the Congress will carry out organizational activities, dialogue with the public and youth, and election review programs involving external well-wishers during the campaign.

Central representatives have been tasked with analyzing and reporting on party and affiliated organizations’ activities from district to ward level.

“Representatives must report whether meetings at various levels of committees are held regularly and assess conditions of sister organizations,” Paudel explained.

They are also responsible for election review discussions with citizens, facilitating direct dialogue between the party and the public, distinct from internal member interactions.

“In several districts, representatives will consult intellectuals, professionals, and youth on why Congress has weakened and seek suggestions for party strengthening,” Paudel elaborated.

Although intellectuals and professionals trusted the party in past years, such positive feedback has been absent this time.

Plans to Engage Party in Social Activities

The Congress plans to run social and creative campaigns in collaboration with local governments, and to provide recommendations for upcoming budgets.

According to General Secretary Paudel, central representatives have been assigned to serve as liaisons between the party and local governments.

“This is the local government’s final budget, and facilitating how to make it citizen-friendly is included in the terms of reference,” he said.

As part of the plan to integrate the party’s organization into social campaigns, district to ward committees will be encouraged to develop annual calendars detailing these efforts.

“Campaigns at the ward level will address climate change, social inequality, informal sector workers, dialogue with youth returning from abroad, anti-drug efforts, women’s empowerment, cultural preservation, and other social issues,” the plan states.

Procedures include consulting district and regional chairpersons for briefing members about the campaign and appointing representatives in every ward.

When appointing new representatives, delegates from the general convention and the central committee will also be included.

The Nepali Congress is the oldest democratic and socialist party in Nepal. It was established in 1949 by merging the Nepali National Congress and the Nepal Democratic Congress.

Born out of the struggle against the Rana regime, the Congress played a decisive role in the 1951 revolution. In the 1959 first general election, it secured the majority and formed Nepal’s first democratically elected government led by BP Koirala.

Throughout the Panchayat era, the Congress continuously struggled for democracy, leading significant movements such as the 1979 student protests, the 1990 People’s Movement, and the 2006 People’s Movement II.

At the heart of the democratic movement, the Congress considers itself not merely a political party but a champion of democracy, civil liberties, and social justice. Despite experiencing crises, splits, and revivals over time, the legacy of founding leaders like BP Koirala and Ganeshman Singh continues to influence the party.