Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nepali Congress (NC) has rejected the resignation submitted by party President Gagan Kumar Thapa.
A meeting held at the party’s central office in Kathmandu on Friday and Sunday deliberated on a proposal to reject Thapa’s resignation, tabled by Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma.
Thapa had submitted his resignation on Wednesday, taking moral responsibility for the party’s defeat in the House of Representatives elections held on March 5.
Thapa became party president through a special general convention held in January. The party, which went into the polls under Thapa’s leadership, suffered a humiliating defeat, winning just 18 seats under the first-past-the-post (FPTO) system and 20 under the proportional representation (PR) system.
NC Spokesperson Devaraj Chalise said that Thapa’s resignation had been rejected. “Party President Gagan Kumar Thapa had submitted his resignation to the vice president as per Article 26 (1) of the party statute, taking moral responsibility for the results of the House of Representatives election held on 5. The Central Working Committee meeting has unanimously decided to reject the resignation,” Chalise said in a statement.
According to party leaders, the meeting concluded that the election defeat was largely driven by structural weaknesses and factors beyond its control and that accepting the resignation could trigger unnecessary instability, uncertainty, and lead to a decline in morale of party leaders and cadres.
As the resignation was a moral and voluntary gesture rather than a binding requirement, the committee deemed it appropriate to respect the intent while rejecting it.
According to the party, the decision was guided by the principles of collective responsibility and the need for continuity and stability in party leadership. Likewise, the party stressed the importance of continuing the reform agenda launched after the special general convention.
