KATHMANDU: Former Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba and former Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka have filed separate petitions at the Supreme Court in connection with the ongoing dispute within the party.
Deuba has filed a fresh writ petition seeking an immediate halt to the 15th general convention announced by the Nepali Congress. Supreme Court spokesperson Arjun Koirala confirmed that a supplementary petition has also been filed on behalf of Khadka.
The working committee led by Gagan Thapa, which was elected at the party’s special general convention, has already published the schedule for the 15th general convention.
Deuba has sought an interim order to suspend the convention process immediately. Khadka, meanwhile, has requested that his supplementary petition be heard together with the review petition already accepted by the Supreme Court regarding an earlier order. He has also sought an order to suspend the entire general convention process.
Both Deuba and Khadka have argued that the general convention should be suspended until the dispute over the legitimate leadership and authority of the party is resolved by the Supreme Court.
They had previously approached the Supreme Court after the Election Commission recognised the Thapa-led working committee elected by the special general convention. The Supreme Court subsequently upheld the Election Commission’s decision.
Following the ruling, Deuba and Khadka filed petitions seeking a review of the Supreme Court’s order. The dispute over the legitimacy of the Nepali Congress leadership intensified after a full bench, including Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma, dismissed the review petition.
Although the Supreme Court has allowed a review of its earlier decision, the Thapa-led leadership has continued preparations for the general convention.
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