The decision of the Nepali Congress Discipline Committee to expel strongman Govinda Raj Joshi and Pushkar Ojha can change the internal dynamics of the Nepali Congress. However, this is not the first incident in the Nepali Congress to victimize die-heart Congress leaders in the internal political feud.

After almost three years, Nepali Congress Discipline Committee has expelled former minister and leader Joshi and two others from the party for a period of five years.

The other two include former minister of state and Member of Mahasamiti Pushkarnath Ojha and secretary of Nepali Congress Dadeldhura Ram Bahadur Bisht.

Committee expelled Joshi and Ojha for five years and Bisht for three years. They were expelled for violating the party’s discipline. According to the decision of the party, all of them were expelled because they conspire against the officials' candidates in the local, provincial and central elections.

However, they were expelled on the ground that their clarification is unsatisfactory.

Personal Rivalry

Whatever the reasons have given, the expulsion of Joshi is merely a personal political vendetta by Ram Chandra Poudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Joshi suffered political humiliation due to his rivalry with party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel. Ojha kicked out from party because to create a safe constituency for Deuba’s wife Arju Deuba in Sudurpachim.

Joshi’s rivalry with Deuba and Poudel remains old. When Joshi, who served as joint General Secretary of the Party, Deuba and Poudel were central committee members and both of them were anti-Koirala camp.

Joshi was in key position in the party when most of the members of the current discipline committee were expelled from the party for their role to split Nepali Congress

However, in politics, everything is justified. Political heavy weights are sacrificed in the course of making a dirty alliance. Nepali Congress is not much different.

Expelling NC leader and former minister Govinda Raj Joshi from the party for five years, NC president Sher Bahadur Deuba has shown how ruthless he can be in politics.

Although his decision is taken to please his arch-rival Ram Chandra Poudel, who has been in knee and jerk arguing for the expulsion of Joshi following his elections debacle in Tanahu, it will also pave the way to end the elections carrier of Poudel as well.

The expulsion will put Joshi at bay in the Congress politics. However, it cannot stop Joshi to mobilize his supporters against Poudel. Doing this, Deuba, who split the party in 2002 and constituted Nepali Congress Democratic, has also weakened Poudel in his home town but also bold out strong loyalist of Koirala from the party.

Joshi, who has spent his entire life in Nepali Congress politics and has a strong base in Tanahu, will now use all his strength to end Poudel’s elections politics. Joshi’s expulsion from formal Congress politics wills also a major loss to Koirala clans who are vying for leadership at the party.

Joshi, who has backed Koirala in entire Nepali Congress politics, was betrayed by young Koirala at a time of his crisis in the party. What a political drama, young Koirala supported Poudel, who stood entire his political carrier against Koirala.

Along with Joshi, Deuba also expelled Puskakar Ojha another loyalist and the strong hand of Koirala and Poudel from Sudupaschim. Ojha was accused of supporting the rebel candidate against Deuba’s spouse Arju Deuba.

Expulsion political stalwart and heavy wait like Joshi is not the first time in Nepali Congress. The party also expelled one time its ideal B.P.Koirala as well. One of the tragic parts of the history of the Nepali Congress is that it does not tolerate strong men.

After the decision of expulsion of NC leader Joshi and Ojha, Koirala's have lost their pillar in Gandaki and Sudurpaschim. This will also open for free rivalry within the congress against Poudel and Deuba.