KATHMANDU, Nov 24: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has asserted that the party will contest the upcoming election under the leadership of a new president elected by a special General Convention — not under current party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has maintained an iron grip on the party despite his unceremonious thrashing by a mob during the Gen Z protest on September 9.
Thapa expressed this view amid ongoing uncertainty within the party over whether the general convention will be held before or after the upcoming elections. The establishment faction of NC led by Deuba wants to defer the general convention to enjoy the existing privileges, while the rival faction backed by Thapa wants a special general convention for a change.
Thapa’s remarks come after the party registered with the Election Commission to contest the National Assembly polls on January 25 and the House of Representatives election on March 5 next year, using Deuba’s name and signature in its letter to the EC.
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Following this, the Deuba-led establishment faction said that election tickets would be issued with party President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s signature.
Thapa, however, insisted that the party will elect new leadership before heading to the elections. “Many friends asked me this morning whether the party plans to contest the election with the current president’s signature. I said — no,” Thapa wrote on Facebook. “A special general convention will be held within the timeline set by the party statute. A new president will be elected by then. The decision to contest the elections will be submitted to the Election Commission again bearing the signature of the new president. The party will contest the polls under new policies and new leadership.”
This recent development is likely to further deepen the rift within the party, as Deuba’s name on the letter to the EC is being interpreted as an attempt to tighten his grip on the organization.
Submitting Deuba’s name to the Election Commission on Sunday means he would distribute election tickets for the upcoming parliamentary polls. Unless the party holds a regular or special general convention before the elections, ticket distribution would remain under Deuba’s leadership. Thapa, however, maintains that even if the regular convention is not held, a special convention will still bring a leadership change.
Following the Gen Z protest, Deuba had announced during the Central Working Committee meeting on September 24 that he was withdrawing from active politics and had assigned Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka the role of acting president. However, sending his own name and signature — instead of Khadka’s — to the EC has fueled speculation that Deuba intends to rule the party as the de facto leader.
The establishment faction led by Deuba has been firmly opposed to holding the convention before the election. Now, with Deuba’s name appearing in the party’s official registration and leaders stating that election tickets will be distributed under his leadership, the rift appears to be widening with the rebel faction led by Thapa.
On his Facebook post, Thapa further said, “This is exactly why we have been saying the convention must take place before the election. There is no alternative to a special general convention now. The matter is simple — let’s not be confused.”
Legally, the EC would have accepted the letter under acting president Khadka. Had Deuba done this, it would have reinforced his earlier declaration that he was stepping down from active politics. Deuba returned from Singapore on November 14 after receiving medical treatment for injuries he sustained during on September 9.
