Kathmandu: The Nepali Congress is conducting its 14th General Convention from December 10. Candidates from establishment and opposition camps are one by one putting their hats in the ring for different posts. Nabin Rai, former central committee vice-president of Nepal Student Union, is in the fray too.
Nabin Rai joined Nepali Congress politics while he was still a student and so far he has spent more than two decades contributing to party politics. Graduate in Political Science, he is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sociology. “A man in politics needs to have a deep understanding of politics as well as the society,” says Rai.
Rai has traversed a long political journey in Nepali Congress. “I first worked in the Ikai Samiti before I had the opportunity to work at the Central Working Committee of Nepal Students Union as vice president,” he said.
He also worked as a secretary for Okhaldhunga Constituency-1 of Nepali Congress. He had a hope that he would be elected as a representative for the 13th General Convention but that was not meant to be. “I lost with a slim margin,” he recalled.
“Now, I have given my candidacy for the post of the central member from the Janajati cluster.” Rai’s candidacy is not just for the sake of rising to the central committee.
“I am vying for the post because I believe I have to contribute to the society and the country,” Rai added. While acknowledging that earlier generation leaders have groomed and inspired the young ones, Rai believes the leadership should be transferred to the younger leaders. “My candidacy is for promoting generation/leadership transfer in politics. It is also vital for the younger generation to move forward in politics,” he said.
Rai agrees that the 14th General Convention should have been organized a bit earlier. The convention has been late due to many reasons, Covid-19 being the primary one. “Other reasons are the internal disputes in the party,” he admitted.
Rai’s conviction is that in a democratic party, one can choose and become a leader and there should be no obstruction. While commenting about various camps and panels that are seen within the party he says such panels and camps are only until the election in the General Convention. After the election, he believes, the party will move forward as one strong and united force. “One cannot go in competition without a group and support. That’s why groups are created. The groups will take part in the election, they are only a group of like-minded leaders,” he added.
“I am sure the representatives will select the right person for the leadership roles, such leaders who can smoothly lead the party and contribute to the development of Nepal.”
He regards Nepali Congress as a family. “There certainly are groups of like-minded leaders in the family but the party as a whole always remains as a family,” Rai said.
Rai is currently with the opposition camp. “Our team includes Koiralas, Prakash Man Singh and Ram Chandra Poudel,” he said.
Many second-generation and young leaders are vying for different posts and such enthusiasm indicates that the agenda of generation transfer is taking momentum in the party. “As in other fields, things keep changing in politics as well. Generation transfer will become a reality in Nepali Congress too,” he said.
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