KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) is holding a central committee meeting today (Friday) to deliberate on the resignation of party President Gagan Thapa.
Party spokesperson Devraj Chalise said the meeting will discuss Thapa’s resignation proposal and take a decision based on the outcome of deliberations. “It is too early to predict the final decision. It will depend on the views of central committee members. If they find the proposal appropriate, it will be accepted; otherwise, he may continue in his role,” Chalise told Khabarhub.
The meeting is scheduled to run for two days (Friday and Saturday), mainly to review the party’s performance in the recent elections. However, a decision on Thapa’s resignation is expected on the first day.
“After settling the issue of the president’s resignation, the meeting will move on to reviewing election outcomes, selecting the parliamentary party leader, organizing training, and preparing for the 15th general convention,” Chalise added.
Thapa had submitted his resignation to Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma on Wednesday, though the development became public only on Thursday. In the resignation letter circulating in the media, he has taken moral responsibility for the party’s electoral defeat, but its official authenticity is yet to be confirmed.
Chalise also noted that no formal decision has been made on who will chair the meeting if Thapa is absent. “If he does not attend, a senior central committee member may preside over the meeting,” he said.
The party is expected to focus on organizational reforms following the election review. The central election mobilization committee, led by Bishwa Prakash Sharma, is likely to present an analysis of the party’s poor performance.
Earlier, general secretaries Pradip Paudel and Gururaj Ghimire had directed party units and candidates to submit written reports explaining the reasons behind their electoral losses.
In the March 5 House of Representatives elections, Thapa was defeated in Sarlahi-4. Notably, all party office bearers who contested the polls were unsuccessful.
Thapa had earlier indicated his intention to resign on moral grounds after the defeat. The party had gone into the elections shortly after holding a special general convention.
Meanwhile, a faction led by former president Sher Bahadur Deuba, which did not participate in the convention, has filed a case at the Supreme Court challenging its legality. The case is currently under consideration.
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