Question to Pushkar Nath Ojha: What will you do in the coming election?

Dhangadhi: It has been 14 months since the Nepali Congress expelled former Minister of State and then General Committee member Pushkar Nath Ojha from the party for five years. Ojha, who won the by-election in 2070 BS, was angry after Sher Bahadur Deuba did not give him a ticket in the 2014 election.

In Kailali-5, Deuba's wife Arju was given a ticket. Dissatisfied with the party's decision, Ojha did not campaign for Arju. The then CPN (Maoist) candidate Narad Muni Rana won from Kailali-5. After that, Ojha was accused of helping the CPN (Maoist) to defeat Arju. He was expelled from the party for five years. He has been inactive in politics since the 1974 election. Leaders and cadres close to him convened factions from time to time, but Ojha was not present at those gatherings.

It was demanded to withdraw the action taken against Ojha after the membership dispute escalated during the 14th General Convention of the Nepali Congress. Nepali Congress Vice President Bimalendra Nidhi had demanded to withdraw the disciplinary action taken against former Minister of State Ojha while some Congress leaders and cadres in Dhangadhi also demanded the same. However, one faction is angry again after his name was not mentioned in the list of NC Kailali members. Leader Ojha is in his own house in Dhangadhi. He has said that he is no longer involved in political activities after being expelled by the Nepali Congress.

He told Dinesh Khabar, "I am not in any political party now. As I was not in the party, there was no talk of political activities." He alleges that Congress has shown one reason in the explanation and another reason while taking action. "I was asked to explain that I had helped an independent candidate to lose the official candidate in the Dhangadhi sub-metropolitan election. The current mayor of Dhangadhi, Nrip Wad and Congress leader Harish Khadka had complained to me," he told Dinesh Khabar.

He claims that there is no truth in both the allegations. What will you do in the coming election? In response to a question from Dinesh Khabar, Ojha said, "I haven't thought about it yet." He has not even decided to quit politics. I was simply expelled by the Congress party. I don't want to join any other party, "he said.