KATHMANDU, Jan 16: General Secretary of the Gagan Thapa–led Nepali Congress (NC), Gururaj Ghimire, has issued a detailed statement expressing serious concern over issues raised at the Election Commission (EC) by Purna Bahadur Khadka, acting president of the Sher Bahadur Deuba–led NC, describing them as illogical and politically motivated.
Ghimire said that questioning the legitimacy of the Special General Convention after it has already concluded—with leadership elected, the Central Working Committee (CWC) formed and all required documents submitted to the Election Commission—amounts to nothing more than political propaganda.
On the issue of signatures, records maintained by the secretariat show that only 29 convention members withdrew their signatures from the application seeking a Special General Convention. The statement further described it as astonishing that the then acting party president—who had personally received the memorandum demanding the convention—later claimed he had “only heard rumours” about it.
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Clarifying the figures related to participation, Ghimire said that when the demand was submitted, 2,488 out of 4,635 general convention representatives—54.58 percent—had signed in support. He added that 2,652 delegates eventually participated in the Special General Convention, accounting for 57.21 percent of the total membership, demonstrating that the majority had already been reflected in the original demand.
The clarification comes amid the Sher Bahadur Deuba–led NC submitting documentary evidence to the EC, claiming that 885 general convention representatives who had initially signed the demand later withdrew their signatures. Based on this claim, the Deuba-led faction has urged the EC to invalidate the Special General Convention reportedly held from January 11 to 13.
A delegation led by Acting Party President Khadka reached the EC on Friday morning and formally submitted a letter on the withdrawal of signatures to Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari. In the letter, Khadka stated that the party had not officially convened any Special General Convention under its banner. He further argued that media reports about a “Kathmandu Special General Convention” were misleading, asserting that no such programme had been approved by the party’s Central Working Committee.
Terming it unjustified to raise the issue of signature withdrawals after the event, Ghimire said the NC’s historic Special General Convention has already been successfully held and leadership selected through voting or consensus. Raising such issues after the fact, he added, is merely an attempt to create confusion.
The attention letter also raises serious questions about the role of the then Central Working Committee, accusing it of neglecting its statutory duties. These include failing to discuss the demand for a Special General Convention for three months; persuading the Executive Committee to declare the demand unjustified; not adhering to the schedule for the regular General Convention; failing to complete the renewal and distribution of active memberships; abruptly halting ward conventions without prior notice; and then, two days later, convening an Executive Committee meeting to announce a regular General Convention for a date four months later—actions described as procedurally improper.
According to Ghimire’s secretariat, the then CWC itself violated the prevailing schedule. The letter further states that while the CWC had extended its term only until mid-February, the Executive Committee’s decision to set a date for a regular General Convention three months after the term had already expired was outright unconstitutional.
The Deuba faction also informed the EC that following the demise of former central committee member Homanath Dahal, the party had decided to close all party offices nationwide during the mourning period, with party flags flown at half-mast and no formal programmes, meetings or conventions held at any level.
