KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress lawmaker Binod Chaudhary firmly rebutted senior leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala’s accusations during today’s central committee meeting.

Koirala had questioned Chaudhary’s legitimacy as a central committee member during Monday’s meeting of the party’s central working committee, to which Chaudhary replied during Tuesday’s session.

“He (Koirala) raised a question yesterday, saying it was a mistake to bring someone like Binod Chaudhary into the central committee four years ago, violating rules,” Chaudhary stated. “I want to inform him that the decision was made through due process, following party rules, with a legal review of my background in another party, an assessment by the party’s legal department, and even supported by a court ruling.”

Chaudhary further challenged Koirala’s viewpoint on the role of individuals from the private sector in politics, implying that such skepticism discourages experienced professionals from participating.

“This raises a bigger question—what is the role of people like us from the private sector in the eyes of leaders trying to run this party?” Chaudhary asked. “Should we always be sidelined in the name of conflict of interest?”

He also accused Koirala of supporting those who tried to defeat him in the last election. “Can a leader who walks alongside someone who tried to defeat the party’s official candidate by campaigning booth-to-booth for Hridayesh Tripathi, even hurling insults at the party’s top leadership, be trusted to lead the party in the future?” Chaudhary asked pointedly.

Earlier, Koirala had questioned whether Chaudhary met the qualifications to be a central committee member.

He recalled that even Sujata Koirala was denied a central committee position due to lack of qualifications when Sher Bahadur Deuba contested Girija Prasad Koirala for party leadership.