Congress rift deepens as Deuba camp weighs legal action over convention

KATHMANDU: The dispute within the Nepali Congress has intensified, with senior leader Ramesh Lekhak saying party leaders aligned with President Gagan Thapa are no longer in contact with the Deuba camp.

Speaking to Khabarhub, Lekhak said there had been no communication between former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and Thapa since Deuba returned to Nepal after a five-month stay abroad.

He said the Deuba camp was preparing to approach the court, arguing that the party’s 15th General Convention should be delayed to allow efforts to bring the two sides together.

Asked whether the group would approach the court as early as Friday, Lekhak said preparations were underway and it was likely to happen.

Lekhak said he had previously been in dialogue with Thapa but had not been in contact with him recently. According to him, he was also not aware of any recent communication between Thapa and other leaders from the Deuba camp.

He accused the Thapa-led faction of moving ahead with the convention process without adequately consulting other senior leaders.

“We have made repeated efforts to bring the party together, but it seems I am no longer able to do so,” Lekhak said, adding that the next course of action would depend partly on the court’s decision.

On whether the Deuba camp accepts Thapa’s leadership, Lekhak said they were ready to move forward under Thapa if he was willing to accommodate senior leaders and address their concerns.

He said the issue was not about rejecting Thapa’s leadership but about taking everyone along in the party.

Lekhak also warned that the party’s future unity would largely depend on Thapa’s approach.

“If Gaganji takes a serious initiative and opens dialogue with everyone, the party can remain united,” he said. “If they continue moving in their own direction, the other side will also have to take some decision after the court’s verdict.”

He said the possibility of a party split should not be discussed prematurely, but maintained that the current lack of dialogue had pushed the Congress into a serious internal crisis.