KATHMANDU, Nov 29: A total of 28 Central Working Committee members of the Nepali Congress (NC), supporting the establishment faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday forwarded a proposal to hold the party’s regular General Convention by mid-January. This move is likely to push the party into further chaos and division.
Deuba, who opposes holding a Special General Convention, sought a middle path by proposing that the regular general convention be held sometime between mid-December and mid-January.
The rival faction immediately rejected the proposal, calling it another tactic by Deuba to avoid the special convention. They argue that the party does not have the time to conduct a general convention in less than a month, as it requires eight layers of elections from the grassroots up to the general convention level.
They also questioned Deuba’s intent, saying that if he truly wanted a convention, he would not have demanded withdrawal of the signatures. Earlier, some leaders of the establishment faction had said that the signatures submitted on October 15 by more than 54 percent of the general convention representatives demanding a Special General Convention must be withdrawn.
Pressure mounts within NC to hold general convention soon
The rival faction, led by General Secretary Gagan Thapa, has made it clear that the signatures will not be withdrawn. They warn that if the party fails to follow the scheduled election plan, a Special General Convention will be held soon.
With both sides maintaining rigid positions, the chances of consensus are weakening, increasing fears of a party split.
“We don’t just want a schedule for the convention—we want the convention itself,” Thapa said, adding that Deuba now has two options: “Either step down respectfully or contest for the presidency, just as KP Sharma Oli is preparing to do in the CPN-UML.”
Guru Raj Ghimire, one of the key leaders of the signature campaign, said Deuba is full of “pride and prejudice” after remaining at the top leadership position of the party for more than 35 years. “Deuba and other leaders must understand the tide of time and act accordingly. Otherwise, the party will face grave consequences,” Ghimire said.
Ghimire also declined to attend a meeting called by Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka. “Such informal meetings will further deepen the party’s crisis. We will not participate in closed-door discussions,” he added.
Under Ghimire’s leadership, 2,488 out of 4,743 general convention delegates had submitted signatures demanding a Special General Convention. He accused the party leadership of ignoring the demands of the majority for too long. “When more than 50 percent demand a special convention, it must be implemented immediately,” he said.
General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has also warned that rejecting the Special General Convention agenda would lead to an unfortunate situation. “There is no reverse gear for the Special General Convention. If the regular convention is not held within mid-January, a Special General Convention will take place. If that doesn’t happen, it will be unfortunate,” Sharma said.
The establishment faction holds a clear majority in the Central Committee and shows no sign of accepting the dissident camp’s demand. Meanwhile, the timeline for holding the regular General Convention within mid-January is becoming increasingly unrealistic. Even General Secretary Thapa said during the recent Central Committee meeting that with time running out for the regular convention, a Special General Convention has become necessary.
The general convention requires eight stages of internal elections—from the local level all the way to the final leadership vote—making a rapid process very challenging.
