Veteran Nepali Congress leader Sushil Koirala was on Wednesday elected president of the country's oldest democratic party, defeating his nearest rival and ex-Premier Sher Bahadur Deuba by a margin of 335 votes, shortly before he was admitted to hospital for treatment of pneumonia.
Koirala, 72, who had been functioning as acting president of the party following the demise of his uncle Girija Prasad Koirala in March, bagged 1,652 against Deuba's 1,317, out of over 3,000 ballots cast.
Bhim Bahadur Tamang stood third with 78 votes following the five-day national general convention (NGC) of the party here. To win, a candidate needed at least 1,533 votes.
The party's election committee, headed by Radheshyam Adhikari, announced the result at 3.30 am local time. The election committee said 20 NGC representatives abstained from voting while 15 of the total votes cast were adjudged invalid.
Koirala was elected for a four-year term, while the outcome of voting for other key party posts, including general secretary, treasure and central members, was awaited.
Bimalendra Nidhi and Prakash Man Singh were the main contenders for the post of General Secretary while Chitra Lekha Yadav and Padma Narayan Chaudhari were vying for the Treasurer's position.
More than 350 candidates contested the elections for 64 positions. Just hours after his election as party president, Koirala was admitted to Teaching Hospital at Maharajgunj as he was suffering from pneumonia. However, he has no other health-related complications, according to party sources.
Thousands of party workers and well-wishers had reached his residence at Buddhanagar early on Wednesday morning to greet him after he was elected to the top post.
Koirala never held any official position during his five decade-long political career and always remained close to his uncle and former Premier Girija Prasad Koirala.
"It is the victory of committed persons in the party. It will move ahead united and disciplined. Sher Bahadur Deuba has his own position in the party and he will remain in a dignified stature in the party," senior NC leader Ram Chandra Paudel, who was the party's prime ministerial candidate in the seven rounds of polls held in Parliament so far," was quoted as saying by the Himalayan Times.
This was the first general convention of the party after the unification of Nepali Congress (Democratic) and Nepali Congress on September 25, 2007.