Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The youth organization of Nepali Congress (NC), the Nepal Traun Dal (NTD), is organizing a gathering of the party’s sister and well-wisher organizations on January 11, the very day the party’s Special General Convention kicks off in Kathmandu.
NTD President Bidwan Gurung issued a notice on Friday, calling the gathering for January 11. In the notice, Gurung has said that the gathering was being organized to rally support for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 and the party’s 15th general convention to be held in May.
The special convention called by the two general secretaries, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, is being held in Kathmandu on January 11 and 12. The two general secretaries are currently focused on preparations for the special general convention. Organising committee leaders said that convention representatives from districts across the country have been arriving for the event to be held at Bhrikuti Mandap, Kathmandu.
The special general convention is being convened at the demand of 54% of the party’s general convention representatives.
However, the party’s establishment faction has been insisting that the rationale for a special general convention no longer exists, as the date for the regular general convention has already been fixed. Leaders of the establishment faction are saying that the party should now concentrate on the upcoming House of Representatives elections.
Supporters of the special convention, however, have accused the establishment faction of disregarding the party statute. Stating that Article 17(2) of the Nepali Congress Statute requires the party to call a special convention within three months if 40% of general convention representatives submit a written request at the party office, they say the leadership cannot disregard the call for a special convention supported by 54% of the general convention representatives.
NTD’s decision to call a gathering coinciding with the general convention has been seen as a ploy of the establishment faction to affect the special convention.
NTD President Gurung is close to party President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Deuba nominated him to the post in 2021. Although Gurung was tasked with holding the general convention of the NTD, he has failed to conduct even ward-level conventions in four years.
