KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress leader Kishore Singh Rathore has withdrawn his candidacy for the party presidency. He decided to step down from the race to support fellow candidate Gagan Thapa.
According to sources, Rathore and Thapa held discussions before the formal announcement of the withdrawal. Rathore agreed to pull out of the contest following a political understanding reached between the two leaders.
Previously, Rathore had filed his candidacy claiming that the Congress party could not be led by Thapa. Along with Rathore and Thapa, Shyam Krishna Khadgi had also registered his candidacy for the party president position.
Rathore had recently shifted from the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction to join Gagan Thapa’s group. Shortly after joining Thapa’s camp, he had announced his bid for the presidency, challenging Thapa. Last December, during a special general convention led by Thapa, Rathore was a vocal opponent of the event representing the then-establishment faction.
