KATHMANDU: With the Nepali Congress (NC) heading into March 5 elections under new leadership, the continued silence of senior leaders aligned with former president Sher Bahadur Deuba has emerged as a key internal challenge.
As President Gagan Thapa leads the party into a high-stakes contest, questions are growing over whether the lack of visible support from veteran leaders could weaken the Nepali Congress’s electoral prospects, or whether the party’s bet on new faces will ultimately pay off.
Former party president Deuba, former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, and senior leaders such as Krishna Sitaula, Prakash Man Singh, and Bal Krishna Khand, who had opposed holding either a special or regular general convention before the elections, were denied tickets. Along with these heavyweight leaders, several well-known Nepali Congress figures were also left out of the race.
Those not contesting the election this time include Deuba’s wife and former foreign minister Dr Arzu Rana, leaders Prakash Man Singh and Ramesh Lekhak, former vice-president Dhanraj Gurung, and Dr. Shashank Koirala. Some of them had earlier announced they would not contest after realizing they were unlikely to receive party tickets.
Even current vice-presidents Bishwaprakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal, who supported the special general convention, are not contesting. Their tickets were withheld after they announced they would not run.
Among these cases, Krishna Sitaula had sought a ticket for his son, Shyam Sitaula, in Jhapa Constituency-3, but the request was denied. While Shyam Sitaula is now actively campaigning to support the Nepali Congress candidate in the constituency, Krishna Sitaula himself has yet to make a public appearance.
Although voters do not appear overtly disappointed by the absence of long-standing candidates, the continued silence of senior leaders has created uncertainty over the party’s ability to secure a majority. Many of those denied tickets have not actively come forward to campaign for the party.
Apart from a few exceptions, establishment leaders have not openly sought votes for the party, reinforcing perceptions that they have not fully accepted Thapa’s leadership. Former joint general secretary Bhishma Raj Angdambe, who is barred from party activities, has nonetheless been seeking votes in Panchthar.
Sita Gurung of Terhathum, the only female Congress candidate to win in the 2022 election, was also denied a ticket this time. The party instead nominated Santosh Subba, a leader close to Thapa, replacing Gurung, who was considered close to Deuba.
Deuba alleges lack of communication from Gagan Thapa
Gagan Thapa had challenged Deuba, who opposed holding a general convention before the election, by pushing for a special general convention. Thapa waited until the final moment for Deuba to participate in the process and address the gathering of 56 percent of general convention representatives. He had hoped Deuba would attend and help guide the leadership transition.
However, Deuba instead mobilized party leaders until the end in an effort to block the special convention. With nearly 56 to 60 percent of representatives present, the convention proceeded and unanimously elected Thapa as party leader. The Election Commission later recognized Thapa as president, a decision subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court.
Sources say relations between the two leaders remain strained. According to a leader close to Deuba, the former president expects Thapa to visit his Maharajgunj residence to seek election support. However, Thapa’s secretariat says no such meeting has yet been scheduled.
“So far, no meeting has been fixed between the former president and the current president,” Thapa’s secretariat told Khabarhub. “But we are not in favor of rejecting or insulting former leaders and rushing into the election. If the situation demands, a meeting will happen.”
Instead of seeking direct reconciliation, the current leadership is preparing to formally invite senior leaders through official letters to join the campaign. Nepali Congress General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire said the party is organizing a large public meeting in Janakpur on February 19 and will invite former office bearers and senior leaders to attend.
“Since the election is approaching, it is not possible to meet everyone individually,” Ghimire said. “The central office will send letters inviting all leaders to the Janakpur meeting. In our view, the Congress remains united.”
Ghimire recalled the significant contributions of former office bearers in building the party and stressed that the Congress does not intend to sideline them. He said the party is preparing to assign appropriate responsibilities to all leaders based on their experience and capacity.
“This was also discussed in the central working committee meeting,” Ghimire said. “We believe senior leaders are already contributing in their respective constituencies and will continue to support the party in the election.”
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress Vice-President Pushpa Bhusal says the party is making efforts to unite after the special general convention. “There was some confusion among leaders initially, but after the Election Commission officially recognized the new leadership, the Congress has been trying to move forward together,” Bhusal told Khabarhub.
“As the new generation is seeking new faces, it was not possible to give tickets to everyone. Some leaders themselves announced that they would not contest the election. I do not think there will be any major unrest within the party over ticket distribution. Every leader has been assigned responsibilities for the election.”
The Nepali Congress has projected President Gagan Thapa as its post-election prime ministerial candidate. If the party secures a majority, Thapa is expected to become prime minister. However, the Deuba faction now faces a dilemma: whether to reject Thapa and withhold cooperation, or support the party in the election.
Deuba stays away from election programs
Former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was injured during the Gen-Z movement on September 8 and 9, 2025, has remained largely inactive in Nepali Congress politics since then. After the movement, Deuba handed over acting responsibilities to Purna Bahadur Khadka. However, he has been accused by the party establishment of obstructing the regular general convention despite delegating authority.
Deuba has not openly supported Thapa so far. After media reports suggested that Deuba would participate in an election rally, his secretariat issued a statement on Sunday clarifying that he would not attend. “There is no preparation to participate in an election rally or any other program,” the statement said. This has led to speculation that both Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana, will not cooperate with President Thapa’s team during the campaign.
Analysts are divided on whether the Nepali Congress can secure a majority without Deuba’s active support. Some argue that his continued silence may influence his supporters and well-wishers to remain inactive. Deuba is considered to have a strong organizational network across the country.
“It appears that, despite demands for generational change, the party denied tickets to several senior leaders,” Humagain said. “However, it does not seem that Congress leaders will remain indifferent simply because they were not given tickets. It is not appropriate to draw conclusions at this stage.”
Although Deuba had prepared to contest the election, he was denied a ticket this time. In Dadeldhura, where he has won elections for 34 years, the Nepali Congress has nominated Nain Singh Mahar. Leaders close to Mahar say Deuba has not yet urged his supporters to campaign for him. However, Deuba’s secretariat maintains that it has not obstructed any candidate’s election efforts.
Other senior leaders also inactive
Like Deuba, several leaders aligned with his faction have remained absent from public campaign activities since the special general convention held in Kathmandu from January 11 to January 21. Former acting president Khadka, Dhanraj Gurung, and leaders Krishna Sitaula, Ramesh Lekhak, Bal Krishna Khand, Arzu Rana, and Prakash Man Singh have yet to appear in election-related programs.
Apart from a few exceptions, establishment leaders have not openly sought votes for the party, reinforcing perceptions that they have not fully accepted Thapa’s leadership. Former joint general secretary Bhishma Raj Angdambe, who is barred from party activities, has nonetheless been seeking votes in Panchthar.
Among senior leaders, Purna Bahadur Khadka has begun mobilizing supporters and well-wishers. His brother, Bishnu Khadka, is contesting from Surkhet-1. According to Khadka’s secretariat, he is preparing to appear publicly in support of his brother’s campaign.
Meanwhile, Prakash Man Singh, who was denied a ticket from Kathmandu-1, has not shown interest in active campaigning. Leaders Bal Krishna Khand and Ramesh Lekhak have also not publicly supported any candidate so far. Lekhak, a close confidant of Deuba, recently returned to his home district after five months.
As the Election Commission has restricted campaigning until February 16, uncertainty remains over when, or if, these leaders will actively participate. “Looking at current activities, I do not think senior leaders will come out actively just yet,” said a Nepali Congress leader. “But since campaigning is restricted before February 16, it may be too early to draw conclusions.”
Too early to judge Deuba’s stance: Analyst
Political analyst Sanjeev Humagain cautions against premature conclusions, noting that the Election Commission has only permitted full-scale campaigning after February 16. He believes there is still time for leaders aligned with Deuba to unite in support of the party.
“The Nepali Congress has a long tradition of initial dissatisfaction followed by eventual unity,” Humagain told Khabarhub. “Once formal campaigning begins, many leaders who are currently silent may come forward to support party candidates. Given the restrictions in place, it is too early to say that Deuba is being uncooperative.”
Humagain analyzes that the Congress under Gagan Thapa’s leadership may have sidelined senior leaders by prioritizing new faces and a younger generation in ticket distribution.
“It appears that, despite demands for generational change, the party denied tickets to several senior leaders,” Humagain said. “However, it does not seem that Congress leaders will remain indifferent simply because they were not given tickets. It is not appropriate to draw conclusions at this stage.”
NC General Secretary Pradeep Poudel also expressed confidence that leaders would actively campaign to ensure their candidates’ victory after February 16.
“Now is not the time for leaders to campaign across the country,” Poudel told Khabarhub. “The election atmosphere will intensify only after that. Leaders will actively work to secure victories for party candidates. I do not believe that leaders will remain on the sidelines following the special general convention. We are preparing to mobilize them with due respect and responsibility.”
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