KATHMANDU, Aug 7: The dissident faction of the Nepali Congress has called a national gathering for August 14–16, with former party president and prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba scheduled to address the event.
NC leader Dr. Shashank Koirala announced the program at a press conference held on Friday at the faction’s contact office in Chundevi. He welcomed the Supreme Court’s August 6 decision to allow a review of the verdict concerning the party’s official status, saying the ruling had boosted confidence among cadres.
Koirala stressed that the gathering aims to strengthen internal unity and chart the party’s future course, describing it as a milestone in uniting the NC ideologically and organizationally amid the current political situation.
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“We had initially estimated 10,000 to 20,000 participants, but the court’s decision has sent a positive message across the party, and we now expect significant participation,” he said.
He noted that leaders including Purna Bahadur Khadka and Shekhar Koirala would not attend the gathering due to health issues and personal commitments but expressed their solidarity with the campaign.
Addressing concerns over Deuba’s return to Nepal on August 11, Koirala said there was no possibility of arrest or detention, warning that the party would strongly oppose any such move. He also dismissed speculation that he had traveled to Hong Kong to meet Deuba.
Koirala urged sister organizations, well wishers, and cadres to join the gathering, vowing to give the party a new lease of life based on the principles of nationalism, democracy, and socialism.
The standoff within the Nepali Congress stems from a leadership dispute triggered by the party’s Special General Convention held in January, which elected Gagan Kumar Thapa as president and was recognized by the Election Commission.
Former president Sher Bahadur Deuba and former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka challenged the decision, arguing that only the Central Working Committee had the constitutional authority to convene such a convention. Their review petition, admitted by the Supreme Court on August 6, has reopened the case, reviving questions over the party’s official leadership and deepening divisions between the Thapa Sharma establishment and the Deuba Khadka faction.
