Thapa was in college when Deuba first became parliamentary party leader

KATHMANDU: Leaders of two generations are contesting the parliamentary party election of Nepali Congress for the first time in the party’s history. Party president Sher Bahadur Deuba (76) and General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa (46) registered their candidacies on Tuesday.

When Deuba was first elected parliamentary party leader in 1994, Thapa was studying I.Sc in Kathmandu-based Tri Chandra College. Deuba had already established himself as an influential leader of the party by that time. Thapa, on the other hand, was a member of the Free State Union of party’s student wing, Nepal Students Union (NSU), at Tri Chandra College.

Deuba was elected parliamentary party leader after the 1994 mid-term elections despite the presence of powerful leaders like late Girija Prasad Koirala in the party. He served as the home minister in Koirala’s government formed after the 1991 election. Deuba, who first became prime minister in 1995 after UML leader Manmohan Adhikary failed to get a confidence vote in the parliament, is eyeing his sixth prime ministerial stint.

He also served as prime minister in 2001, 2004 and 2017. Deuba is currently serving his fifth prime ministerial stint. He was first elected party president by the 13th general convention in 2015. He was reelected to the post in 2021.

Thapa had just joined student politics when Deuba first became prime minister in 1995. According to student leader Badri Aryal, NSU had decided to bring Gagan Thapa, who had an interest in basketball and was popular among youth, to its fold with the hope that he would increase some votes for the NC’s student wing.

The young leader took to the streets against the king’s tyrannical rule, going against the party’s policy. He would chant republican slogans much to the dismay of the party leader. Then party president Girija Prasad Koirala had described him as ‘somebody mobilized by the palace’. It further helped to increase his political height and made him popular among youth.

Thapa, who was first arrested during UML’s nine-month rule while protesting against high inflation rates in 1994, started becoming active in politics gradually. He headed the FSU in Tri Chandra College and went on to become General Secretary of NSU.

The 2006 movement helped cement his position in Nepali politics. He was elected to the 2008 Constituent Assembly through the proportional representation (PR) system and worked actively in the Fundamental Rights Committee. Thapa was elected to the 2013 Constituent Assembly, and 2017 and 2022 House of Representatives from the Kathmandu-4 constituency. He served as the health minister in the cabinet of Pushpa Kamal Dahal for nine months. He received accolades from all quarters for the reforms he initiated in the health sector during his ministerial stint.

Thapa was elected as the central committee member in 2010 by securing the highest number of votes. He was elected general secretary by the 14th general convention of the party held last year.

Past Elections
2017
Prakash Man Singh vs Sher Bahadur Deuba
Deuba defeated Singh by 25 votes

2013
Sushil Koirala vs Sher Bahadur Deuba
Koirala defeated Deuba by 16 votes

2008
Ram Chandra Poudel vs Sher Bahadur Deuba
Poudel defeated Deuba

1999
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (Unanimous)

1994
Sher Bahadur Deuba (Unanimous)

1991
Girija Prasad Koirala (Unanimous)