Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Internal rifts in the Nepali Congress (NC) have deepened after factions led by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and leader Shekhar Koirala decided to convene a separate meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) elected by the 14th General Convention.
A meeting of leaders from the Deuba–Koirala camp held in Dhumbarahi on Sunday decided to call the meeting within a week, according to Min Bahadur Bishwakarma, who was the chief of the Publicity Department of the previous working committee of the party.
Bishwakarma said the meeting would review the party’s poor performance in the recent House of Representatives election and discuss future strategy. “The election has concluded and the government formation process has already begun, but the other side has not even considered holding talks. At the very least, the election results must be reviewed,” he told Himal Press.
The decision to hold a separate meeting has drawn criticism from leaders close to the rival camp led by party President Gagan Kumar Thapa, who have described the move as a parallel activity.
However, Bishwakarma rejected the allegation, claiming that the party is already divided and the meeting cannot be termed parallel. He argued that the Deuba faction has not accepted the legitimacy of the leadership formed through the special general convention even though the Election Commission (EC) has recognized the new committee.
The faction has challenged the decision at the Supreme Court. The case is scheduled for hearing at the top court later this month.
The dispute dates back to the run-up to the parliamentary elections, when leaders including Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma pushed for a special general convention to change the party leadership after the protests of September last year. The power struggle led to the formation of a new working committee under Thapa despite objections from the Deuba and Koirala camp.
Although both sides later agreed to contest the election under the same banner, the party’s poor results have intensified blame-game between the factions.
Leaders close to Deuba claim the decision to change leadership just before the polls weakened the party, while the Thapa camp had argued that going to the election with “old faces” would lead to defeat.
Deuba, who had gone abroad for medical treatment before the election, is currently in Hong Kong and is expected to return soon. His faction, together with Koirala camp, has increased internal activities ahead of his return. This signals a possible escalation of the intra-party power struggle in the coming days.
