Nepali Congress Central Party Office
KATHMANDU: After more than a month of deliberations, the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting adjourned on Saturday without scheduling the party’s General Convention.
The CWC, which was held after a week-long recess to allow leaders time to forge a consensus, was expected to finalize a date. However, it did not become possible as the establishment and opposition factions remained firm in their respective positions.
The establishment faction is for organizing the general convention only after the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. However, the anti-establishment faction, including the two general secretaries, is adamant about holding the convention before the elections so that the party can go to the polls with new leadership and new energy.
The current term of NC’s CWC is set to expire in mid-December. The party has always held its convention after extending its term by a year. Although party bylaws allow for a one-year extension—plus an additional six months under constitutional provisions—General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma are demanding a leadership change within the standard four-year cycle.
The dispute has roots in a signature campaign launched by Thapa and Sharma demanding a Special General Convention. The campaign began after the Gen Z protests when protesters attacked party President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Some NC leaders have criticized the two for pushing for a leadership change while President Deuba was still recovering from injuries.
The General Secretaries claim to have submitted signatures from 54% of convention representatives—a requirement for convening a special convention as per the party statute. Thapa has been arguing that there is no alternative and has called for the convention to be held before the upcoming elections.
The establishment faction, however, opposes holding any convention before the polls. Stating that the elections have been declared for March 5, they argue the party must focus on election campaigning instead.
The CWC meeting on Saturday took a formal decision to participate in the upcoming polls. On Saturday, the party registered with the Election Commission for the elections, authorizing President Deuba to sign candidate tickets. This effectively signals that Deuba will lead the party to the National Assembly and House of Representatives elections, pushing the convention until at least March.
Thapa has opposed the decision. “A Special Convention will elect a new President, and the party will contest the election under that new leadership,” Thapa said in a social media post on Monday.
Leaders of the establishment faction, however, dismiss the possibility of a special convention in December, citing the logistical challenge of verifying over 2,000 signatures of convention representatives. Some leaders also say that the signatures were collected for a different purpose, not for the special convention.
General Secretary Sharma has proposed two solutions to resolve the stalemate: either expedite a regular convention by mid-January or for Deuba to step down, thereby clearing the path for new leadership.
The aggressive tactics of the General Secretaries have drawn sharp criticism within the party. Central Working Committee Member Minakshi Jha warned that bypassing protocol and issuing threats via social media risks splitting the party for the second time in its history.
Joint General Secretary Mahendra Yadav, who earlier proposed to hold the general convention in April, said the party is close to a consensus on the convention. “Regardless of the current disputes, the CWC meeting scheduled for Thursday will decide the general convention date by consensus, not by voting,” Yadav claimed.
