KATHMANDU: The 24th General Convention of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), the student wing affiliated with the CPN-UML, begins today in Kathmandu.

The event will be inaugurated this afternoon by Prime Minister and UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli at the Tribhuvan University premises.

The convention will set the organization’s policies and elect new leadership. For the first time, a 32-year age limit has been introduced for leadership candidates, a decision endorsed at the UML Secretariat meeting held on Jestha 11 (May 25).

This new age limit disqualifies 15 current central committee office bearers, including General Secretary Naresh Shahi and Vice Chairs Ram Chandra Gharti, Govinda Giri, Maryada Bista, and Dharma Giri, effectively narrowing the leadership contest to five ANNFSU secretaries: Deepak Dhami, Sujan Kadariya, Anjana Siwakoti, Aarti Bhattarai, and Prakash Paudel.

A seven-member presidium has been formed to oversee the leadership selection process. Coordinated by Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, head of the UML’s Mass Organization Coordination Mechanism, the presidium includes former ANNFSU chairs Madhav Dhungel, Kishor Bikram Malla, Nabina Lama, Ain Mahar, Sunita Baral, and Samik Badal. This team is actively working to build consensus among leadership contenders to ensure a unified leadership.

While Chairperson Oli has encouraged the reduction of presidential candidates and selection of leadership through consensus to strengthen the organization, he has also indicated that democratic electoral processes will be followed if consensus cannot be reached.

Efforts to broker an agreement continue, but as of the convention’s opening day, consensus had not yet been achieved.

Among the contenders, Aarti Bhattarai has expressed willingness to step back from the presidential race if consensus leads to her appointment as General Secretary; however, she remains prepared to contest the presidency if elections proceed.

Discussions are ongoing with leadership aspirants, including proposals to appoint one as president and assign other roles to remaining candidates to maintain organizational unity.