Koirala

Koirala has helped the Nepali Congress to create many youth leaders. In most cases he has given the No 2 position to people from the younger generation. Among the current generation of secondary leaders, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Ramchandra Poudel, Sushil Koirala, Sailaja Acharya, Taranath Ranabhat, Khum Bahadur Khadka, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat, and Bijay Gacchedar, all became prominent because of Koirala.

Koirala made Deuba the leader of the Nepali Congress in parliament. At Koirala's request, Acharya and Khadka withdrew and Deuba became the NC leader in parliament. It was Koirala who proposed that Poudel be made the speaker of the house. Ranabhat, the present speaker, too became speaker because of Koirala.

After Koirala became the president of the party, Ranabhat was made secretary of the party twice. Sushil Koirala was made vice-president once and secretary twice. Ranabhat was earlier in Bhattarai's camp and a vocal opponent of Koirala. This shows that Koirala does not discriminate between the two camps. Both Gachhedar and Khadka were ministers under him for a long time. Mahat, too, was in the cabinet earlier. Now, when Koirala is once again contesting as candidate for party president younger leaders are in high positions. Sushil Koirala is secretary, Poudel is deputy prime minister, and Ranabhat is speaker.

Under Koirala's presidentship, second generation leaders have always received prominence. Till now almost 85 percent of working committee seats have been given to young leaders. Every time a new committee is formed, Koirala has made it a point to increase the number of young leaders and decrease the number of old leaders.

Bhattarai

Bhattarai has always reserved the No 2 position for one of the leaders of his age group. It was always the late Mahendra Narayan Nidhi, Yog Prasad Upadhaya, Basu Risal or Ram Babu Prasai.

When he became prime minister for the first time, he made Nidhi his number two and Upadhyaya number three. When he became PM for the second time Upadhyaya became number two even though Upadhyaya was not a member of any house of parliament. When he realised that he may have to go, Bhattarai made Poudel the deputy prime minister and gave Upadhyaya a valid excuse to resign from the cabinet.

After the advent of democracy in 1990, Bhattarai became party president. He made Nidhi the secretary and Upadhyaya and Risal deputy secretaries. Ram Babu Prasai was made treasurer. Bhattarai was party president for 20 years and almost 80 percent of the central committee members were people of his age, and every time the committees were dissolved and new ones formed, the ratio of old people grew at the expense of the younger ones.