Kathmandu, Nov 26: In a bid to tighten grip over the party, Deputy Prime Minister and Nepal Sadbhavana Party's acting president Badri Prasad Mandal has reshuffled the 29 member central working committee of the party. Mandal has sacked the party's general secretary Hridayesh Tripathi yesterday, resulting in a controversy. Tripathi has challenged the move to sack him from the CWC membership.

Tripathi's removal comes in the wake of his reported statements that the party has no representation in the caretaker government and Mandal was appointed DPM on individual basis. "The statement made by the sacked general secretary Tripathi regarding Mandal's appointment to the post of Deputy Prime Minister was against the party's official view," general secretary Rajendra Mahato said. "The party has officially recognised the appointment of Mandal as DPM and even congratulated him on his appointment," he said.

"However, the party president has no right to sack Tripathi from the member of the CWC as he was elected to the party's highest body during its third general convention held in 1998 in Biratnagar," he said. "The president can only remove him from the post of general secretary, not from the party's CWC," he added.

Meanwhile, the newly reorganised 28 member central committee of NSP includes Bharat Kumar Bimal and Laxman Lal Karna as vice chairmen; Rajendra Mahato, General Secretary, and Anil Kumar Jha, Amrita Agrahari, Ram Narayan Yadav, Mrigendra Kumar Yadav and Khusilal Mandal, joint-general secretaries. Durga Prasad Chaudhari and Muktinath Mandal are treasurer and spokesman of the party respectively.

Bureau Report