Must go door to door to win back lost trust: Congress chief Thapa

Nepali Congress chairman Gagan Kumar Thapa has said party leaders and cadres must reach voters' doorsteps to win back the trust the party has lost.

He said this at a welcome and cadre meet-and-greet program held Monday at the district party office in Putalibazar Municipality-1, Syangja. "What Congress has lost is not votes, but trust," Chairman Thapa said, adding that votes would follow naturally once trust returns.

He stressed that leaders from the ward level to the center must unite to meet voters who have distanced themselves from the party, hear their grievances, and explain the changes brought about within Congress. He said preparations were underway to run a grassroots awareness campaign in the coming month of Mangsir to inform people about the changes following the party's 15th general convention.

Speaking publicly for the first time since being elected chairman, Thapa said he had come to lead with a team. He said even those who lost internal contests should get a chance to reach leadership positions and take on responsibility if they wish to work. Noting that the party spans four generations, he said he now carries the responsibility of bringing together leaders and cadres 30 years older and 30 years younger than himself. He added that he has no personal interest in the party and cannot work miracles on his own, saying his aim is to unite the party by distributing responsibility to everyone.