KATHMANDU, Jan 4: The rival faction of the Nepali Congress (NC), which has been pressing for a special general convention, has come under growing pressure after senior leader Dr Shekhar Koirala signalled support for the party establishment’s decision to hold a regular general convention after the House of Representatives (HoR) elections.
Dr Koirala’s position is expected to weaken the camp advocating a special convention, led by General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma. On Friday, the Central Work Performance Committee (CWPC) decided to convene the party’s regular General Convention from May 11 to 14 after the HoR elections scheduled for March 5.
On Saturday, Dr Koirala called a meeting of leaders close to him to discuss the evolving political situation and the party’s internal disputes. The meeting concluded that the NC should prioritise party unity, the forthcoming elections and the scheduled regular convention, rather than pushing for a special convention ahead of the HoR polls.
According to participants, Dr Koirala briefed the gathering on the fragile condition of both the country and the party, stressing that elections offer the most immediate and viable exit from the current political impasse. “He said the country and the party are in a weak position and that elections are the only immediate way out of the crisis,” said Barma Lama, former president of the NC Dolakha district chapter.
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Several leaders at the meeting expressed concern that convening a special general convention at this stage could further weaken the party and risk a split. Central Committee member Deepak Giri said most participants feared that internal confrontation over a special convention would undermine party unity at a time when cohesion is most needed.
This position contrasts with the stance taken by General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma, who held a separate consultation on Saturday with legal experts. The experts said there is no legal provision to invalidate a demand for a special convention once it is formally backed by a majority of general convention delegates.
The legal experts warned that ignoring such a demand would violate the party statute and the laws governing political parties, potentially inviting constitutional and legal consequences.
Citing Article 17(2) of the NC statute, they said both the Central Working Committee (CWC) and the central office are obliged to convene a special convention once the required threshold is met. They also noted that if the CWC or central office fails to prepare the work procedure and agenda for the special convention, the delegates who demanded it are entitled to convene it themselves.
Any decision endorsed by 51 per cent of delegates at such a convention would be legally valid, the experts added.
Around 54 per cent of general convention delegates had submitted a formal demand for a special convention following the Gen Z protests of September 8 and 9. Thapa and Sharma argued that respecting this demand is essential to safeguarding the party’s democratic process and institutional integrity.
However, with Dr Koirala—previously regarded as a key moral force within the rival camp—now leaning towards the establishment faction, the momentum behind the push for a special convention appears to be waning. Leaders who had earlier supported the demand, including some present at the Bishalnagar meeting, are reported to have softened their stance following the group’s assessment.
