KATHMANDU: The faction of former Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba has expressed serious dissatisfaction with the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Nepal.
The court on Friday granted legal recognition to the leadership of party president Gagan Thapa through its final verdict on the party’s officiality dispute. Following the decision, leaders from the Deuba faction indicated that they may move for a review of the ruling.
A meeting held after the verdict concluded that the leadership elected through the special general convention should take the initiative to safeguard party unity. Leaders from the Deuba camp also stressed that a solution should be sought through a committee empowered by the judicial body.
Speaking after the meeting, party leader Min Bahadur Bishwakarma said maintaining unity within the party remains their top priority. He emphasized the need to create an environment of political unity based on respect, dignity and the party’s core principles.
According to him, members elected from the 14th General Convention should not be sidelined and must be included in party activities. He also said the faction has reservations about certain issues related to statute amendments and expects those concerns to be addressed.
The Deuba faction, however, appeared less optimistic about how responsive the Thapa-led leadership will be to their demands. “There is no clear path for dialogue yet, but we remain committed to preventing a split in the party,” Bishwakarma said.
Responding to questions about possible alternatives if their demands are not addressed, he warned that while they prefer to move ahead with unity, continued deadlock could naturally lead to division.
Bishwakarma said a final decision on filing a review petition at the Supreme Court of Nepal has not yet been made.
He added that the initiative for unity and dialogue should now come from party president Gagan Thapa and his executive committee. “Delay in initiating dialogue could have serious consequences for the party,” he said.
Leaders from the Deuba faction have been holding continuous discussions following the court’s decision. Bishwakarma said around 50 to 60 leaders based in the Kathmandu Valley participated in the recent meeting and preparations are underway to hold a broader national gathering soon.
The faction’s dissatisfaction and indication of seeking a judicial review suggest that the internal dispute within the Nepali Congress may remain unresolved and could become more complicated in the coming days.
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