KATHMANDU: Bipul Pokhrel has been elected as the president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). A joint panel led by Pokhrel, a democratic, professional and working journalist, emerged victorious from the counting of votes that ended on Saturday afternoon.
According to Kapil Kafle, Chief of the Election Committee, Pokharel has received 6,942 votes. Another candidate Nirmala Sharma got 3,915 votes. Similarly, Gajendra Singh Budhathoki and Ram Prasad Dahal received 491 and 156 votes respectively.
Similarly, Ramesh Bista defeated Madhav Nepal to become the senior vice president. Bala Adhikari has been elected as the female vice president. She defeated Dana KC Subedi.
Uday GM of Pokhrel group has been elected as the inclusive vice-president defeating Awadhesh Jha. Roshan Puri has won the post of general secretary. He defeated Bal Krishna Basnet.
Govinda Prasad Chaulagain has been elected as the open secretary defeating Ram Krishna Gyawali. In the women’s category, Sirjana Aryal defeated Nima Kafle. Narayan Sundar Kilambu has been elected as the secretary for the Indegenous Janajati. He defeated Shahiman Rai.
Dipendra Chouhan has been elected as secretary from Madhesi category, Hemkarna BK as secretary from Dalit, Pawan Acharya as associate secretary and Kalendra Sejuwal as treasurer. They all belong to the Pokhrel group.
Similarly, Lekhnath Neupane has been elected as the coordinator of the Accounts Committee. He defeated Dwarika Prasad Kafle. Chhabi Lal Tiwari was elected as the member of the Accounts Committee.
Basudev Sharma (Babin Sharm), Madhav Poudel, Ramesh Khatiwada and Shivraj Khatri have emerged victorious in the open category. Similarly, Sarita Timsina (Khas-Arya Mahila), Lalita Kumari Sah (Madhesi), Shanti Angbuhang (Indegenous Janajati), Sarita Baraili (Women-Dalit), Bhishan Rai (Indegenous Janajati), Sanchkumari Lama Tamang (Indedgenous Janajati Women), Prakash Dhaulakoti (Dalit), Radha Nepali (Women Dalit), Subash Prasad Sah (Member Madhesi), Rinku Kumari Mishra (Madhesi Women), Navin Rijal (Disability), Iftikhar Hasan (Iqwal Ahmed) (Minority) have been elected as Central Members.
Similarly, Amar Khadka and Dipendra Rumdali Rai have been elected as central members from state-1. KC Lamichhane and Shiva Puri from State 2 and Dhruv Kumar Rawal and Sunil Khadka from Bagmati State have been elected. Pradip Kafle and Tribhuvan Poudel from Gandaki, Bhawani Prasad Pandey and Sushil Pokhrel from Lumbini, Dipendra Sharma and Bhim Bahadur Singh from Karnali and Uttar Singh Bista and Bharat Bahadur Sah from the Far West have been elected.
Santaram Bidari and Gyan Prasad Poudel have become central members from Kathmandu Valley, while Mani Dahal and Ram Krishna Adhikari have become central members from Associate. Similarly, Kriti Bhattarai and Bikas Karki emerged victorious.
This is the first time that the leadership of the federation has been elected through direct election system after the country went to federal structure.