Purna Bahadur is only an Acting Head; party is being run from Deuba’s residence: Gagan Thapa

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has proposed holding the party’s general convention on schedule by conducting ward and constituency conventions before the central convention.

Speaking at a meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee held at the party office in Sanepa on Wednesday, Thapa said there was time pressure to follow the approved timetable, making it necessary to proceed from ward- and constituency-level conventions to the central general convention.

He proposed that other conventions could be held after the general convention. Thapa also stressed the need to deploy fully empowered representatives in the field to resolve disputes related to active party membership.

After the meeting, Thapa said his proposal included holding ward conventions on Poush 21 instead of the previously scheduled Poush 16, constituency conventions on Poush 23, and the central general convention on Poush 26.

He warned that failure to agree on the proposed schedule could adversely affect the general convention. Thapa further stated that if his alternative proposal was rejected, no one would be able to stop a special general convention.

Thapa also accused party president Sher Bahadur Deuba of appointing a nominal acting head, alleging that the party was being run from Deuba’s residence even in his absence from meetings. He said the party president should be the one most concerned about the party’s best interests.

Meanwhile, party spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat said discussions had begun on Thapa’s proposal. He noted that other members emphasized that changes to the schedule should not create a situation that would affect the general convention. Mahat also informed that the party had decided to remove the names of 19 leaders seeking candidacy under the proportional representation system at the federal level from the provincial lists.

General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa, Joint General Secretaries Mahendra Yadav and Badri Pandey, and members Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Uma Regmi, Sujata Koirala, N.P. Saud, and Anand Prasad Dhungana expressed their views at the meeting.

The Nepali Congress said the meeting would reconvene on Thursday at 1 pm.