KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) faces growing internal tensions as the Gagan Thapa-led faction advances preparations for the General Convention while the establishment faction considers legal action to halt the process.
The party has been undergoing internal uncertainty since Sher Bahadur Deuba returned to Nepal. Leaders from the Deuba faction say there has been no communication with party President Gagan Thapa since Deuba’s return.
Ramesh Lekhak, a leader of the Deuba faction, said communication between the two sides has recently broken down. The disagreement has intensified after the Gagan Thapa-led faction moved ahead with preparations for the party’s 15th General Convention, while the establishment faction is preparing to approach the court seeking an order to halt the convention-related activities.
Lekhak said Thapa himself has not been in communication with leaders of the establishment faction. He also said that Deuba and Thapa, who returned to Nepal after spending five months abroad, have neither met nor spoken to each other since Deuba’s return.
Khabarhub spoke with Nepali Congress leader Lekhak about the party’s latest internal developments, the ongoing differences and areas of possible convergence. An edited excerpt of the interview follows:
You are going to court to stop the General Convention, right?
It has become necessary to approach the court. The Nepali Congress is a party that has been built through considerable struggle, so we wanted to wait and give everyone some time to reach an understanding. However, the circumstances for going to court have now emerged. After Gaganji moved ahead with the General Convention preparations on his own, our colleagues have concluded that approaching the court has become unavoidable to protect the party’s organizational process.
Are all members of the establishment faction united in going to court?
Our colleagues are working on it. I have not been directly involved in much of the preparation. Whether everyone will join the legal process will become clear when the case is filed. I cannot say anything definite about it at this stage.
Were Gagan Thapa and his faction in contact with you until Sher Bahadur Deuba returned to Nepal? Are they no longer in contact?
I have not been in contact with them. As far as I know, I have not spoken to any of the other colleagues either. Even after Deuba returned to Nepal, I am not aware of Gagan Thapa having any discussions or meetings with him. Perhaps he is not in contact with any of us. He had been in communication with me previously, but not recently.
Did they want to move ahead without you?
I do not know. There has been no dialogue. If they do not want to move forward through communication and reconciliation, how can we know what they intend to do? We have been trying for a long time to find common ground and resolve the differences. But since they have not been in contact with us, we currently have no information about their plans.
Why is Purna Bahadur Khadka upset with you?
I do not know why he is upset with me. He is currently with other leaders.
Did he not attend the party’s national gathering? Is he in contact with Gagan Thapa?
I have no information about that. They know what discussions they are having among themselves.
Will you try to reconcile?
Gagan Thapa is not in contact with us at present. Now that they have begun their own preparations, we will know what the other colleagues decide after the court’s ruling. I have been making efforts toward reconciliation for a long time, but I now feel that it may be becoming increasingly difficult.
From the outside, the Nepali Congress appears divided rather than united. What needs to be done to restore unity?
We told Gagan Thapa a long time ago that both sides needed to show flexibility to achieve unity. However, he remained firm in his position. I have repeatedly said from the beginning that Gagan Thapa himself needed to take a serious initiative for reconciliation. We have not seen such a serious effort from him. I am also not fully aware of whom he has been communicating with recently. As far as I know, he is not in contact with the other leaders either.
Does it appear that they are trying to move forward on their own?
At present, it appears that way, although we cannot know what is happening internally within their group. Since there has been no dialogue, discussion or negotiation with the party leadership, it is not difficult to draw conclusions about their intentions. The situation is particularly telling because a former party president has returned to Nepal, yet there has been no meeting, discussion or communication with the other leaders. How else can we interpret that?
What should Gagan Thapa do now?
He needs to listen to the senior leaders, including us. It is not that we have rejected his leadership. We have clearly said that we are ready to move forward under his leadership. However, the party has reached this point because he has not taken our concerns seriously and has instead focused primarily on his own issues. We have communicated all of this to him clearly.
Will the Nepali Congress split?
Whether the Nepali Congress remains united or splits ultimately depends on Gagan Thapa’s actions. If he fulfils his responsibilities as a party leader and continues communicating with everyone, the party can remain united. If he continues moving forward on his own, the other side will also have to decide what to do after the court’s ruling. Let us not speculate too much about that at this stage.
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