KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa, accompanied by Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma, visited former President Sher Bahadur Deuba at his private residence in Maharajgunj on Saturday to work on improving relations with the Deuba faction.
Congress General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire confirmed the meeting between the top leaders and Deuba.
The day before, the Election Commission officially recognized the new central working committee led by Thapa, elected through the special convention held in Kathmandu from January 11 to 15. This recognition updated the party’s official records, which previously reflected Deuba’s signature.
Amid the party’s division into two factions, Thapa and Sharma have initiated efforts to mend ties with former President Deuba. Congress spokesperson Devaraj Chalise confirmed the meeting but did not disclose the details of the discussion, describing it as routine and courteous.
Earlier, during the special convention, Thapa and Sharma had met Deuba at Maharajgunj, but discussions had not yielded an agreement, leading to the party split. Following the disagreement, the acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka chaired a central working committee meeting in Sanepa, which expelled Thapa, Sharma, and Farmullah Mansoor from the party for five years.
However, the second special convention’s closing session, held from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning, elected a new 134-member central working committee under Thapa’s leadership. The Election Commission recognized this committee, granting authority over the party’s four-star flag, tree symbol, and official endorsement in favor of Thapa’s faction.
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