KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has warned that the party risks being confined to history if it fails to undertake timely reforms. He cautioned that unless the party engages in serious self-assessment and internal reform, the people will eventually forget the Congress.
Presenting a detailed proposal at the ongoing Central Working Committee meeting in Sanepa on Tuesday, Thapa stated, “We are facing a crisis of both trust and relevance. Our name and history may be grand, but only slogans cannot rebuild public confidence.”
Loss of public trust acknowledged
Thapa admitted that the party has lost touch with the people. “Today, people associate Congress not with courage, but with compromise, not with ideals, but with opportunism, and not with justice, but with corruption,” he remarked.
He blamed the leadership’s failure for growing frustration among the younger generation, stressing that internal silence should no longer be masked as consensus.
‘Gen Z movement’ a political turning point
Referring to the Gen Z movement held on September 8–9, Thapa described it as a political turning point. “This movement is not a rejection of democracy but a demand for its reform. The youth are seeking transparency, merit, and accountability,” he said. “If we fail to heed this warning, we will lose not only elections but also our moral legitimacy.”
Calls for immediate reform and convention within two months
Thapa proposed that the party must hold its general convention within two months to set a new course and rebuild trust. “If a nation can turn upside down in 24 hours, there is no reason Congress cannot hold a convention in 64 days,” his proposal states.
He called the upcoming 15th general convention an “opportunity for Congress’s moral rebirth,” urging zero tolerance for corruption, transparent leadership selection, youth inclusion, and structural reform within the party.
Warning against becoming a party of the past
Concluding his proposal, Thapa warned, “If we repeat the same old politics, people will see Congress as a party that cares only for elections and power, not the people. Then, Congress will remain only in the pages of history.”
Thapa’s proposal has been viewed as a bold and introspective intervention aimed at pushing organizational and leadership reform. The discussions ahead, including the next central committee meetings and the upcoming general convention, will be crucial in determining the party’s future and relevance.
Deputy General Secretary Mahendra Yadav, who represents the establishment faction, has already proposed holding the general convention from May 10 to 12, setting the stage for further debate within the party.
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