FNCCI elects Anjan Shrestha as President, new executive committee formed

KATHMANDU: The 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and election of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) has concluded with the announcement of a new leadership team.

The final results of the election, held on May 5 in Kamaladi, Kathmandu, were made public after the completion of vote counting. Candidates secured victories across various categories, defeating their close rivals in a competitive race.

According to the FNCCI statute, Senior Vice President Anjan Shrestha has automatically assumed the presidency.

The new leadership structure has been formed in line with this provision, aligning much of the outcome with Shrestha’s supported panel.

In the Associate Vice President category, Prabal Jung Pandey emerged victorious, defeating his closest competitor Jyotsna Shrestha by 329 votes.

A total of 1,834 votes were cast in this category. Pandey secured 1,079 votes, while Shrestha received 750 votes. Jyotsna Shrestha had contested from the panel led by Hemraj Dhakal and had sought re-election.

Out of the 17 elected Associate members, only one candidate from Jyotsna Shrestha’s panel won, while the remaining candidates aligned with Pandey’s panel secured victories.

Sachin Dhakal topped the Associate category with 1,318 votes. Other elected members include Hemant Golchha (1,202), Ambika Prasad Paudel (1,183), Ujjwal Kumar Shrestha (1,156), Shakti Kumar Begani (1,142), Rishi Agrawal (1,122), Sushil Thapa (1,094), Ramsharan Bhattarai (1,043), Rajesh Kumar Agrawal (1,082), Suyas Pyakurel (1,069), Babukaji Karki (1,006), Dibash Neupane (991), Krishna Lal Maharjan (974), Priyaraj Regmi (954), Ishwar Bahadur Jisi (949), Suraj Upreti (907), and Batu Lamichhane (860).

In the District and Municipal category, Krishna Prasad Sharma and Dilsundar Shrestha were elected as Vice Presidents, receiving 87 and 80 votes respectively, with support from Anjan Shrestha’s panel.

However, in the Commodity Association category, the Anjan Shrestha group faced a setback. Shiv Ghimire, the panel’s candidate, received 60 votes and lost to Nareshlal Shrestha of the Hemraj group, who secured 63 votes.

For the Commodity Association Executive Committee, 13 candidates were elected out of 16 seats. Araniko Raj Bhattarai led with 70 votes, followed by Vidur Dhamala and Sagar Dhakal (68 each), Rabin Puri (66), Rajkumar Karki (63), Pashupatidev Pandey (62), Lelendra Pradhan (62), Bhakta Bahadur Hamal (56), Naniraj Ghimire (52), Sangharsh Bista (51), Homprasad Ghimire (51), and Sunita Nehafu (54).

Four candidates—Nirajan Chalune, Raghu Nandan Maru, Biplav Adhikari, and Suraj Banjade—each secured 50 votes. Among them, three will be selected through a lottery system.

With this election, FNCCI has officially formed its new executive committee. The organization’s 60th AGM was followed by a competitive electoral process that concluded with the announcement of results across all categories.

Outgoing Senior Vice President Anjan Shrestha’s elevation to the presidency marks continuity in leadership, while other elected representatives are expected to focus on strengthening the private sector, promoting economic reforms, and creating a more business-friendly environment in Nepal.

According to Chief Election Officer Lila Mani Paudel, the newly elected leadership reflects a balanced representation across district, commodity, and associate categories. The provision for automatic elevation of the senior vice president to president will remain in effect until the next term, after which the presidential post will be determined through direct election.