Dr Sherkhar Koirala and other leaders of his camp at a meeting on Thursday.
KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) is facing internal turmoil after taking disciplinary action against its own leaders and cadres on charges of betrayal during the general elections held two and a half years ago.
The party’s Disciplinary Committee on Wednesday suspended 18 leaders and cadres accused of working against party interests during the 2022 federal, provincial and local elections from three months to one year.
Most of these penalized leaders are close to Dr Shekhar Koirala, who leads the anti-establishment faction in the party.
Leaders and cadres of the Shekhar camp feel that the party leadership is using the disciplinary process as a means of factional retaliation. Dr Govind Raj Pokharel, who is Shekhar’s close aide, described the action as retaliatory. “If this action had been taken within six months of the election, the suspension would have already ended by now,” Pokharel said. “By acting now, they are preventing us from contesting in the upcoming general convention. This makes the intent of retaliation clear.”
Another leader, Chandra Bhandari, also accused the party leadership of vengeful behavior. In a sarcastic post on social media on Thursday, he criticized the party for delaying investigations only to wield disciplinary measures later. Another leader, Sanjay Gautam, also accused the leadership of settling political scores.
Shekhar convened a meeting of NC leaders close to him at his liaison office in Bishalnagar on Thursday. In the meeting, several leaders argued that the party establishment was using the disciplinary process for revenge.
Guru Ghimire, another leader loyal to Shekhar, said that the decision violated both the spirit and provisions of the party statute, particularly Article 28(1), which states that disciplinary matters must be resolved within six months of the registration of the complaint. “To take action nearly two and a half years later is clearly against the party statute,” Ghimire claimed.
Leaders said in the meeting that actions have been taken against only the leaders close to Dr Koirala. This shows that they are taking selective action, an NC leader close to Shekhar said. “In Makwanpur-1, Mahalaxmi Upadhyaya had filed a complaint against Indra Baniya, yet no action was taken. But our people were handpicked for punishment,” the leader said. “On the contrary, seven leaders and cadres from Kailali, where party President Sher Bahadur Deuba’s spouse Arzu contested in 2017, were penalized.”
The Shekhar camp has decided to launch a phased protest against the party’s disciplinary action.
In the first phase, party leaders will speak directly about the decision with the party president. In the second phase, Shekhar will personally meet Deuba to communicate their concerns. Likewise, in the third phase, they plan to resist any efforts to sideline rival factions within the party.
“There was a gentleman’s agreement between Shekhar and Deuba that there would be no such disciplinary action. That understanding has now been violated,” Ghimire said.
Shekhar furious, Gagan silent
While the Shekhar faction is preparing for confrontation with the party leadership, General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has remained silent. He was not present at the Bishalnagar meeting, prompting suspicions from within the faction that he may have had a role in the disciplinary decisions.
Rumors are also circulating in NC circles that Thapa has grown closer to President Deuba in recent months.
Thapa is currently on a tour of Thailand and is expected to return on Saturday.
Due process was followed: Committee
Anand Prasad Dhungana, coordinator of the Disciplinary Committee, rejected allegations of factional retaliation, saying the committee followed due process and acted only after a thorough investigation. “We didn’t penalize everyone because there wasn’t sufficient evidence in all cases,” he said.
According to Dhungana, the committee received over 2,100 complaints from 50 districts. “Action was taken only against those for whom credible evidence was found,” he added.
Out of five members in the Disciplinary Committee, only three signed the decision to take disciplinary action. When questioned why a unanimous decision was not possible, Dhunanga said everyone has the right to disagree. “That is what a democratic party like the NC allows,” Dhungana told Himal Press.
Dhungana also said intra-party betrayal has been a recurring issue within the NC. “Even in the past, efforts were made from within Kathmandu to defeat Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. That toxic culture has grown over time,” he said. “If we don’t act now, this culture will take deeper root. That is why I dared to act.”
