Biplav Adhikari has been unanimously elected as the President of the Nepal Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (NPMA), also known as AAPON, following a mutual agreement between him and former president Deepak Prasad Dahal.
The announcement came during the association’s 31st Annual General Meeting held in Kathmandu, where new leadership is being selected for the upcoming two-year term. Although the president was originally set to be chosen through a voting process, a last-minute consensus allowed Adhikari to be elected unopposed.
Adhikari Returns With Stronger Backing
Adhikari previously served as the association’s General Secretary and had contested for the presidency in the last term, where he was defeated by Mahesh Pradhan. This time, however, he gained strong backing from influential members including Santosh Baral and Prabhat Rungta, which strengthened his candidacy.
Voting to Continue for Other Positions
While the presidential post has been settled, the election committee—led by coordinator Prajwal Jung Pandey—confirmed that voting will proceed for the remaining executive positions. A total of 17 candidates had initially filed nominations, including two for the presidency. Now, elections will be held to form the full 13-member executive committee.
Revised Structure Under New Bylaws
As per recent amendments to the association’s bylaws, the executive committee will now include seven office bearers:
- President
- Immediate Past President
- Senior Vice President
- Vice President
- General Secretary
- Secretary
- Treasurer
In addition, six committee members will be selected either through consensus or voting.
The newly elected President will have the authority to nominate individuals for key posts, including the Vice President, General Secretary, Secretary, and Treasurer. Voting will take place to determine the remaining six members if consensus is not reached.
64 Member Companies to Cast Votes
A total of 64 pharmaceutical manufacturing companies affiliated with NPMA will participate in the voting process for the remaining positions. The closed session of the general assembly is ongoing, with efforts underway to reach mutual agreement on other posts. If consensus fails, elections will proceed accordingly.
