Kathmandu: Nepali Congress leader Minendra Rijal has decided to withdraw his candidacy for the party’s vice-president following a meeting with presidential candidate Gagan Thapa.
Rijal said his discussion with Thapa strengthened his belief that his experience, knowledge and intellectual abilities could make a greater contribution to the party’s next phase than seeking an office-bearing position.
During their meeting on Tuesday night, Thapa emphasized the need to make better use of Rijal’s understanding of BP Koirala and his intellectual legacy.
“You not only worked with BP Koirala, you also understood his intellectual side and have the strength and ability to carry that forward,” Thapa told Rijal, according to Rijal. Thapa also said the party needed Rijal’s experience and knowledge as a younger generation takes leadership of the Congress.
Rijal said contributing to the Nepali Congress is now his main priority.
“The most important thing on my mind is how I can remain involved and contribute to the Congress,” he said.
Reflecting on the party’s recent political setbacks, Rijal said the Congress had suffered a historic defeat that required serious reassessment.
“The Congress has suffered a defeat it has never experienced in its history,” he said. “It is not just a defeat in terms of numbers and arithmetic. The defeat has shaken the very foundation of the Congress.”
Rijal said his decision to contest for vice-president was not motivated by a personal ambition for office. Instead, he wanted to determine whether there was still a meaningful role for him within the party.
“Today, I don’t have a great ambition. I have only one ambition: that the Congress should be a Congress in the true sense, that its heart and soul should change,” Rijal said.
After Thapa expressed a desire to seek Rijal’s support in that effort, Rijal said there was no reason for him to continue his candidacy.
Rijal said he would formally withdraw his nomination on Wednesday and would also not contest for a seat on the Central Working Committee.
“I will go tomorrow and withdraw my name from the race,” he said. “As for the rest, I have come here betting that Gagan Thapa will pull this off.”
Rijal had filed his nomination for vice-president under the open category. Other candidates include Govinda Bhattarai, Chandra Bhandari, Dhanraj Gurung, Surendra Raj Pandey, Madhu Prasad Acharya, Devraj Chalise, Dipak Giri and Chandra Mohan Yadav.
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