KATHMANDU, Jan 13: The Nepali Congress (NC) Special General Convention, which began on Sunday at Bhrikutimandap without the presence of party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and leaders from the establishment faction, has been extended amid growing tension within the party.
Organizers say the convention, initially scheduled to conclude on Monday, will now wrap up on Tuesday with the selection of new leadership. The closed-door session, which began after 11 AM on Monday, endorsed the working procedures. Chaired by the senior-most general convention representative, the session approved provisions allowing the dissolution of the current Central Working Committee (CWC), including party President Deuba, and the election of a new committee.
As momentum built and enthusiasm surged among participants, the establishment faction was forced to respond. Convention delegates, energized during the inaugural session, have stressed the need to preserve party unity at a time when the country itself faces deepening challenges. Leaders said delegates have urged party General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, along with other leaders, to move forward without compromising party unity.
Despite previously sidelining the 54 percent who had demanded the special convention under the party statute, the establishment faction is now actively seeking to contain divisions. Leaders and cadres gathered at Bhrikutimandap are waiting for the party leadership, including the general secretaries, to stand firmly in favor of the NC while respecting the dignity of convention participants.
Great Leadership: A Road Less Traveled
The establishment faction believes that if the general secretaries help avert a split, the special convention could be converted into a policy or resolution convention. However, it has also warned that if leaders push beyond that, it will proceed strictly in line with party rules and statute, while still making maximum efforts for consensus.
Warning that the party is on the brink of division, senior leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has stepped up dialogue with President Deuba, establishment leaders, and those leading the special convention. After consulting his close aides on Monday morning, Koirala made it clear that he would not participate unless the special convention is transformed into a policy convention or a similar forum that prevents party fragmentation. He also said he would not go to Bhrikutimandap unless the general secretaries provide a written commitment that a new leadership will not be elected. Accompanied by leaders including Minendra Rijal and Jiban Pariyar, Koirala met Deuba and urged him to take steps to prevent a party split, according to sources close to him.
Earlier, Koirala also held discussions with several party leaders and signatories, including Gururaj Ghimire, Devaraj Chalise, and Madhu Acharya. They proposed converting the special convention into a policy convention, with the CWC formally adopting its decisions. They further demanded that President Deuba refrain from signing election tickets for the general election scheduled for March 5, ensure fair ticket distribution, and form a parliamentary committee for ticket allocation. Another proposal called for guaranteeing that the 15th General Convention, scheduled for the second week of May, is not postponed. They also sought leadership participation in concluding the convention under an alternative name, such as a policy convention.
While both Koirala and the establishment faction appear flexible on some of these demands, leaders remain uncertain whether General Secretary Thapa is aligned with the compromise. One leader said Thapa’s preparations, public remarks, and the procedures endorsed by the closed-door session suggest an effort to split the party and elect new leadership. In a bid to prevent that outcome, Koirala also held talks with General Secretary Sharma on Monday evening.
Earlier, President Deuba consulted his close allies, seeking feedback from provincial leaders on preparations to elect new leadership at Bhrikutimandap. He reiterated that leadership change through a special convention is not possible under party rules and statute and claimed unity among establishment leaders. Deuba and some leaders accused General Secretary Thapa and a few legal experts of spreading confusion by arguing that leadership change is possible through a majority vote, maintaining that the Political Parties Act, 2017, recognizes only the CWC and the parliamentary party, not a special convention. One leader present at the meeting said, “There is no dispute that whichever side President Sher Bahadur Deuba stands with will receive the party’s election symbol—the tree and the four-star flag—from the Election Commission.”
Leaders have suggested that if the general secretaries agree to prevent party division, Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka and leader Shekhar Koirala could symbolically attend the closing ceremony to honor the delegates. However, President Deuba has made it clear that neither he nor Acting President Khadka will go to Bhrikutimandap.
Meanwhile, supporters of the special convention insist they will begin the process of electing new leadership on Tuesday morning. Divided into nine groups to deliberate on proposals presented in the closed session, they said they would wait until morning for the party president. Manojmani Acharya, a convention supporter, told journalists that the NC leadership “will come and must come” before the convention concludes, urging President Deuba and Acting President Khadka to take ownership of the process. He warned that if they fail to appear by Tuesday, the special convention will carry out the functions of a regular general convention, including elections.
If leadership elections proceed, the establishment faction is preparing disciplinary action against some leaders. Accordingly, a CWC meeting has been called for Tuesday at 11 AM at the party’s central office. “We are not inclined to take action prematurely,” one leader said, “but if the election process moves forward, the party will act in accordance with its statute.”
On Monday, Acting President Khadka appealed to special convention supporters to refrain from activities that could undermine party unity. Stressing the need for collective responsibility amid the country’s difficult circumstances, he urged all concerned to avoid actions that could further destabilize the party and to move forward together in solidarity.
