The student wing of the CPN (Maoist Centre) has elected its leadership after a tough competition between two panels—one backed by party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the other supported by a deputy general secretary, Janardan Sharma.

Though the Dahal-backed panel managed to win the positions of the organisation’s chair, the Sharma-supported team won majority of the 33-member team of office bearers.

Maoist Centre’s student wing, the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (Revolutionary), on January 25 conducted votes to elect 1 chairperson, 9 vice-chairs, 1 general secretary, 9 deputy general secretaries, 12 secretaries and 1 treasurer.

Bijay Prakash Sapkota from the Dahal-backed panel got elected the chair and Hementa Rai from the panel supported by Sharma got elected general secretary.

Despite losing the top position, the Sharma-backed panel gained a strong grip on the student wing’s top committee.

Out of the 33 office bearer seats, the Sapkota panel managed to win nine while the Rai-led team won almost 20 positions. A different panel backed by party’s senior vice-chair Narayankaji Shreshta was also in the fray. The panel won three positions in the team of office bearers. Shrestha backed Upadesh Kumar Yadav for the post of chair of the student union.

Roshan Thapa Magar, who ran for general secretary from the Hemanta Rai panel, won the position.

The Rai panel won six of 11 secretaries while the Dahal-backed group secured only five secretary positions.

Out of the nine seats of deputy general secretary, while the Sapkota panel managed to win one seat, the Rai panel secured seven. One deputy general secretary was elected from the Shrestha-backed panel.

A former chair of the party’s student wing, Himal Sharma, however, denied the party’s top leaders supporting any panels. “Having different panels does not mean the students were divided along the party’s factional line and party leaders were supporting them,” says Himal Sharma, a former ANNISU-R chair.

Despite Sharma’s claim, party insiders describe the election results as an indication of Dahal’s loosening grip on the party's student wing.

“Dahal is not only the party chair but also the party's guardian,” said Sharma. “When he did not have any favourite panel of his own in the student union, the argument of the party chief losing his grip on the party is irrational.”

The union held the election after eight years. Before this, Ranjit Tamang chaired the student wing.

Whatever the outcome, the student union will work together, says Madan Dhakal, a student leader close to the party. “The factionalism seen during the election won’t affect our work,” he claimed.

As both sides took it as a prestige issue, the entire election process was not smooth. Counting began on the evening of the January 25 poll.

However, counting of votes was halted for three days due to the dispute among the representatives present, who argued over the colour of the ink used on some ballots.

Eventually, counting resumed after the ballot boxes were taken to the party’s central office at Perisdanda.

Polling held across the country elected a 243-member central committee, with 33 office-bearers, 48 secretariat members, and 162 central members.

After long-drawn negotiations, the organisation also imposed an age bar to become candidates in the organisation.

Following a close vote held on December 30 last year, 900 members supported an age cap, while 879 voted to keep it open. As per the final decision, individuals above 32 were no longer eligible to contest a leadership position in the student union.