Gagan Thapa gears up to contest for NC President at 15th General Convention

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa is preparing to contest for the party presidency at the 15th General Convention scheduled to begin on January 11 in Kathmandu.

According to leaders close to Thapa, he has already started building his team and planning strategies for the upcoming leadership race. Shankar Kuinkel, a member of Thapa’s secretariat, confirmed that Thapa is actively preparing to vie for the top position in the party.

Thapa will face stiff competition from other prominent leaders, including Dr. Shekhar Koirala, who lost in the 14th General Convention, and Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka. Both are considered strong contenders for the presidency following the retirement of the current party President, Sher Bahadur Deuba.

“Gagan Dai is preparing for the presidency and is fully capable of taking on this responsibility,” Kuinkel said. “Considering the post-Gen-Z movement political landscape and the leadership sought by the party’s younger generation, he is the right fit. He will certainly contest this time.”

Kuinkel added that Thapa is currently involved in resolving disputes among active party members. He attended such a meeting on Wednesday, which focused on smoothing internal party differences and strengthening organizational cohesion.

Discussions around team formation are ongoing. “The team structure has not been fully decided yet, but Gagan will not step back from contesting for the presidency this time,” Kuinkel said.

Thapa’s announcement to enter the race poses a challenge to other leaders, particularly those from the non-establishment group. Dr. Shekhar Koirala is also expected to contest from the same faction, setting up a competitive leadership battle.

Future negotiations and discussions between Gagan Thapa and Shekhar Koirala are expected to play a crucial role in finalizing the presidency candidacy. Koirala himself told Khabarhub on Tuesday that he is a candidate for the 15th General Convention presidency.

The upcoming convention is seen as a critical juncture for the Nepali Congress, with the leadership race reflecting both generational change and internal party dynamics, particularly in the post-Gen-Z movement political environment.