KATHMANDU: Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Pandey on Wednesday urged the Nepali Congress to move forward based on reality and collective consensus, emphasizing that the party must simultaneously prepare for both upcoming elections and its general convention.

Speaking at a central working committee meeting, Pandey noted that government notifications indicate elections may be held on March 5, cautioning against prematurely concluding that elections will not take place.

“There is a question of whether elections will happen or not. Interactions are ongoing, from the Prime Minister downward, but we should not assume elections won’t happen. Government reports indicate they are likely in March,” he said.

Pandey stressed that the party needs a clear plan to conduct both elections and the general convention together. “We cannot prioritize the convention while ignoring elections, or vice versa,” he added.

Acknowledging internal differences within the party, Pandey urged that such disagreements be transformed into institutional decisions through collective consensus.

“Everyone has their own opinions, but blind loyalty should be avoided. Otherwise, everyone would have joined KP Oli’s party, where his word is law,” he remarked.

He also highlighted that Nepali Congress has been gradually sidelined from the national political agenda and called for the party to define a clear direction to lead the country.

On matters of election ticket distribution, Pandey advised minimizing internal competition and personal disputes.

“We should not think of distributing tickets through conflict as before. The situation does not require fights over tickets anymore,” he said.

Pandey further urged leaders not to view dissenters through the lens of division. “We should not separate those who sign and those who don’t. Do not think that those who don’t sign will not get tickets,” he added.

Concluding, he called for inclusivity and unity within the party.

“Nepali Congress has been active in politics for 45 years. This time, let’s neither get overexcited nor anxious. We must find ways to include everyone,” Pandey emphasized.