NEWS: Nepali Congress, History of Nepali Congress, Revolution, Contribution, Sister Organization of Nepal Congress

What is Nepal Congress?

The Nepali Congress is a political party of Nepal founded in 1947 and presently led by Girija Prasad Koirala.

Contribution of Nepali Congress

•The Nepali Congress has been constantly indulged in its aim of constitutional reforms.
•It is a centrist party founded under a slightly different name.
•It was elected to office in 1959 in a total victory.
•The Nepali Congress Party government wanted to liberalize society through a democratic process.
•In 1960, the palace overthrow led to the imprisonment of the Party leader, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala.
•He was a powerful leader of Nepali Congress party.
•Many other party’s influential leaders sought sanctuary in exile in India.

Revolution of Nepali Congress

•All the political parties were banned from 1960 to 1963 and considered illegal during the panchayat system under the rule of the Associations and Organizations (Control) Act of 1963, the Nepali Congress Party persisted.
•The party emphasized on abolishing the feudal economy and building a basis for socioeconomic development.
•It planned and proposed nationalizing basic industries and instituting progressive taxes on land, urban housing, foreign investments, salaries and profits.

Weakening of Nepal congress

•The Nepali Congress was weakened over time by defection, factionalism, and external pressures.
•But still it was the only organized party to fight for democratization.
•In the 1980 referendum, the party favoured the multiparty option in opposition.
•The party wanted to get rid of the panchayat system. In 1981 the party boycotted the Rashtriya Panchayat elections.
•The elected government was rejected by the party.
•B.P. Koirala, who had consistently fought for constitutional reforms and a broad-based policy of national reconciliation, died in 1982.
•His demise further weakened the party.

Nepal Congress 1960-2008

•In the 1980s, the Nepali Congress left its approach toward socialistic economy to favor the development of mixed economy and a market economy in certain sectors.
•Its foreign policy was based on nonalignment and good relations with India.
•The party boycotted the 1986 elections to the Rashtriya Panchayat.
•In 1990, the Nepali Congress demonstrated mass rallies in coperation with different communist factions that ultimately started the prodemocracy movement.
•In 1991, the party leader K.P. Bhattarai was defeated in th parliamentary election, consequently, Girija Prasad (G.P.) Koirala was selected by the Nepali Congress Party as leader of the Parliamentary Board.
•He founded the first elected democratic government in Nepal in thirty-two years.
•G. P. Koirala was the third person from the Koirala family to become Prime Minister.
•He succeded his brothers in the parliamantry board..
•He and his elder brother, B.P. Koirala, were arrested in 1960.
•They were released in 1968.
•Then he suffered period of exile from 1971 and returned to Nepal in 1979.
•G.P. Koirala was known for compromising and reconciling with the left, but he also wanted to develop national unity and Western-style democracy.
•In the late 1990s a severe internal dissension emerged in the party.
•It led to the creation of a separate party or group called Nepali Congress (Democratic).
•But in September 2007, Nepali Congress (Democratic) and Nepali Congress united together to form a single party.
•The name of the party retained as Nepali Congress.
•The the election symbol of the unified party is tree as earlier. Girija Prasad Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai and Sher Bahadur Deuba are three senior most leaders of the newly formed party.
•Koirala is still the president of the party.
•In the April 2008 Constituent Assembly election the party won 110 seats out of 575 seats. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) won the elections by the double number of votes.
•It was a surprising outcome.
•The party discussed on power-sharing with the Maoists.
•It was proposed that Koirala , should become the first President of Nepal, but finally the Nepali Congress formed the opposition government and Koirala resigned in June 2008, clearing the way for the Maoists to form a government.

Sister organization of Nepal Congress

•The sister organizations of the Nepali congress are as follows:

• Nepal Student Union
• Nepal Tarun Dal
• Nepal Woman Association
• Nepal Prajatrantra Senani Sangh
• Nepal Kissan Sangh
• Nepal Dalit Sangh

•Nepal Bhutpurba Sainik Sangh
•Nepal Adibashi Janajati Sangh