Nepali Congress calls central working committee meeting amid internal rift

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress has convened a meeting of its Central Working Committee for August 9 (Shrawan 24), as internal divisions within the party deepen ahead of a planned national convention by the dissident faction.

Acting Chief Secretary Krishna Prasad Dulal said the meeting will be held at 1 pm at the party’s central office in Sanepa. Central office-bearers and members of the committee have been asked to attend.

Although the party has not made the meeting’s agenda public, it comes days after the party’s dissident faction announced plans to hold a national convention in Kathmandu from August 14 to 16 (Shrawan 29–31).

At a press conference on Saturday, the faction announced the formation of a 551-member main organising committeeunder the coordination of former General Secretary Dr. Shashank Koirala. It also formed 16 subcommittees to oversee political affairs, organisational management, statute drafting and other preparations for the gathering.

Koirala said the convention aims to strengthen the Nepali Congress ideologically, organisationally and at the policy level. He said discussions would focus on the party’s current condition, the country’s political, economic, social and religious issues, as well as broader national concerns.

He also said the gathering was being organised after repeated efforts to preserve unity within the party failed to receive the expected response from the leadership, leading to growing frustration among party leaders, cadres and supporters.

The dissident faction has also called for stronger unity within the party and greater cooperation among national political forces to maintain political stability, social harmony and religious tolerance.

The Central Working Committee meeting is widely seen as an attempt by the party leadership to address the growing internal dispute and determine its strategy ahead of the dissident faction’s national convention.

Despite the escalating tensions, the Nepali Congress has not made any formal decision or announcement regarding a split in the party.