KATHMANDU: Preparations are underway for a Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, elected at the 14th general convention of the Nepali Congress (NC), which is expected to take place in the coming days.
The Deuba faction is planning to convene the CWC meeting as soon as Deuba, who is currently in Hong Kong, returns to Nepal. NC leader Guru Baral stated that the faction will announce the schedule for the 15th regular general convention during that meeting.
“We do not recognize the team of President Gagan Thapa, elected through the special general convention, as legitimate,” Baral said. “We remained calm earlier to avoid weakening the party’s vote share during the elections. Now, we will hold regular conventions to make the Nepali Congress a united and stronger party.”
Baral alleged that the party’s major defeat in the March 5 elections was linked to the second special general convention, held in Kathmandu by Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, which he claims served the interests of certain forces.
“Which forces promised them a majority and the prime ministership if they became president through the special general convention? They proceeded under the veil of ambition,” he said.
He added that Deuba, elected president at the 14th general convention, had already delegated party leadership, contributing to the party’s divided position ahead of the elections.
“Deuba had appointed Purna Bahadur Khadka as acting leader in Asoj and made it clear he would not claim leadership himself,” Baral said. “We had already concluded that holding a general convention on the eve of the elections would affect the vote results. That is why the 15th regular general convention was scheduled for Baisakh 2083 BS. Their refusal to attend the special general convention, however, caused significant losses to the party.”
Baral further claimed that while active party members did not vote for Congress under the tree symbol, steps are now being taken to implement structural reforms from the grassroots level.
“President Deuba is expected to return to Nepal later this week, after which we will hold a meeting and make the necessary decisions,” he told Khabarhub.
Following the defeat of most office bearers, including himself, in the elections, President Thapa submitted his resignation to Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma last Wednesday. However, Vice President Sharma proposed rejecting his resignation during a specially convened CWC meeting. Discussions on this proposal are ongoing in the committee, which has been in session since Friday.
The meeting also reviewed the party’s performance in the March 5 elections and concluded that internal conflicts contributed to defeats in 21 constituencies across the country.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Students’ Union, the party’s sister organization, decided to operate autonomously in a meeting held on Friday. This decision is seen as a setback for the Thapa-led Nepali Congress, although General Secretary Guru Ghimire stated that the Students’ Union’s decision is actionable.
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