KATHMANDU, Jan 10: With just one day remaining before the announced Special General Convention, the rival faction of the Nepali Congress (NC) backing the gathering has expressed confidence that more than 60 percent of general convention delegates will assemble in Kathmandu on January 11 and 12.
The establishment faction, meanwhile, has been using its full influence to persuade delegates to boycott the Special General Convention. Several district presidents have issued stern notices urging party members not to travel to Kathmandu to attend the meeting. Earlier on Friday, 17 sister organisations aligned with the establishment faction publicly opposed the Special General Convention, calling on the party leadership to remain united and focus on the upcoming elections.
In a joint appeal, these establishment-aligned sister wings stressed that the current political situation demands collective and responsible leadership within the party, urging all ranks to move forward in unity.
Despite the official call for a boycott, delegates have begun arriving in Kathmandu, particularly around the Bhrikuti Mandap area. Leaders supporting the Special General Convention have accused the establishment faction of intimidating and threatening cadres, especially in remote districts.
Central Committee member Madhu Acharya told Republica that they have received reports of intimidation, threats and undue influence aimed at preventing leaders from travelling to Kathmandu. He added that such tactics have, in fact, pushed more cadres—previously inclined towards the establishment faction—to support the Special General Convention.
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“The coercion, intimidation and influence are the same old tactics the establishment faction has long relied on,” Acharya said. “Now cadres are opening their eyes and joining us to advance a broader agenda of policy and organisational reform within the party.”
He expressed confidence that more than 60 percent of convention delegates will ultimately participate in the Special General Convention.
On October 15 last year, 2,488 general convention delegates—about 54.58 percent of the total—submitted a petition to Acting NC President Purna Bahadur Khadka demanding a Special General Convention. The demand followed the September 8–9 Gen Z–led protests that led to the fall of the NC-backed Oli government.
Under Article 17(2) of the party statute, a Special General Convention must be convened within three months if at least 40 percent of delegates formally demand it.
Earlier, NC General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma, speaking to journalists at Bhrikuti Mandap—the venue of the Special General Convention—said that more than 500 additional delegates are expected to join the gathering. Sharma arrived at the venue along with senior leaders Dr Chandra Bhandari and Dr Sunil Sharma, both of whom were previously believed to be aligned with the establishment faction.
Dr Bhandari said they are actively working to resolve internal disputes and convey a message of unity, adding that efforts are ongoing to keep the party united while ensuring proper procedures are followed.
Similarly, at least 30 NC leaders considered close to the Sher Bahadur Deuba–led establishment faction have issued an appeal urging the party leadership to hold a General Convention before the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) election.
“With the HoR election approaching, it is essential to make the NC a more credible and trustworthy party in the eyes of the people,” the appeal states. “Embracing the agenda of change and transformation, the party must head into the election with new thinking and a fresh vision.”
Party insiders say several of these leaders, currently still aligned with Deuba, are likely to soon join the Special General Convention camp along with prominent figures. Central Committee members Udaya Shumsher Rana, Chin Kaji Shrestha, Rajendra KC and Bharat Kumar Shah are among those named.
Meanwhile, conveners of the Special General Convention have said they will formally invite party President Sher Bahadur Deuba and other senior leaders to attend the event. Manoj Mani Acharya, chief of the Special General Convention Secretariat, said they will wait until Saturday for the central committee to take ownership of the convention.
“If that does not happen,” he said, “we will proceed as the organisers ourselves.”
