KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress (NC) is grappling with a deepening internal rift, with party leaders split into three camps: one led by Gagan Kumar Thapa, another by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and a third aligned with Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka.
With rival general convention plans and a crucial court ruling on the party’s legitimacy still pending, the prospect of reconciliation remains uncertain.
Thapa was elected party president at the recently concluded 15th General Convention. Meanwhile, the Deuba faction is preparing to hold its own general convention on December 7-9, while the Shekhar Koirala–Purna Bahadur Khadka faction appears uncertain about its next move.
With a court case concerning the party’s legitimacy still pending, an immediate resolution of the dispute appears unlikely.
Nepali Congress leader NP Saud, a former foreign minister and longtime ally of Deuba, says preparations are underway to hold a consensus-based general convention that would accord a respected position to the party’s first-generation leaders while transferring leadership to the second tier.
Khabarhub spoke with Saud about the party’s internal dispute, the planned general convention and the prospects for reconciliation. Below are edited excerpts from the interview.
You are preparing to hold a general convention in December. How far have the preparations progressed?
Conventions have been completed in most wards, with only a few municipalities yet to conclude their conventions. Provincial assembly and regional-level conventions have also been held in most places. Only a limited number of district constituencies are yet to complete their conventions.
The deadline for district conventions was set for November 1, although some districts are expected to complete the process before then.
Reports suggest that the lack of party offices and an insufficient number of members to form working committees have created problems in some places. Is that true?
In some wards, we are sharing party offices with members of other faction. In other places, we have organized programmes in public squares.
I recently returned from a district convention held at the Nepali Congress district office in Kanchanpur. Regarding the claim that we lack sufficient members, the situation is quite the opposite in many places. There is considerable competition among party cadres seeking positions.
Even in my own constituency, we have been unable to reach an agreement on selecting regional general convention representatives despite 15 days of discussions. This demonstrates the large number of aspirants.
How many general convention representatives are expected to participate?
The number of delegates is determined by the party statute. There are 35 elected delegates from each constituency, bringing the total number of delegates selected through this process to 7,425.
The dispute over the Nepali Congress’s legitimacy is pending in court. The Gagan Thapa faction has already held its general convention, and your faction is also preparing to hold one. What happens next?
The 14th General Convention was the common platform for the Nepali Congress. Now, those who participated in that convention are preparing to hold the 15th General Convention in December.
We appeal to everyone who participated in the 14th General Convention to join us. We want to welcome all our colleagues and make the upcoming convention a gathering of unity. We urge everyone to participate in the convention scheduled for December.
Can the general convention planned for Mangsir itself become a convention of unity?
We want to make the 15th General Convention a convention of unity. However, Gagan Thapa’s participation does not appear likely at present. Therefore, discussions are underway to bring our other colleagues on board.
Are you currently holding talks with the Gagan Thapa faction?
They have already held their general convention. We are now waiting for the court’s decision.
Are you also in discussions with Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka?
We are holding discussions and consultations with everyone. At the same time, we are moving ahead with preparations to complete our general convention.
Is there a possibility that Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Purna Bahadur Khadka will join your general convention?
That is something we need to discuss with them directly. They have not yet made their position clear about joining the convention we are preparing to hold.
However, we are confident that they may eventually join us, particularly if they do not align themselves with Gagan Thapa. Once the court delivers its verdict, the situation should become clearer.
When the Congress was divided into two factions, did those who remained in the middle face difficulties?
We are asking all those who participated in the 14th General Convention to come together and hold a general convention. Some of our colleagues are already joining us.
We have approached the court seeking justice on the basis of the 14th General Convention. The court’s decision will determine the question of legitimacy.
After that, there will be scope for reconciliation through political dialogue. We will pursue the political process once the legal process has been resolved. We urge all our colleagues to participate in the general convention scheduled for December.
Would it not be better to hold the general convention only after the court delivers its verdict?
The court will make its decision in accordance with the law. If our faction is granted legitimacy, we will be ready to welcome everyone. They can present their views, and we are clear about our willingness to engage with them.
What would it take to reunite the Nepali Congress? What should both sides do?
If the court recognizes the 14th General Convention, that would provide a common foundation for reconciliation. The 14th General Convention was a shared platform for everyone in the party. Attempts have since been made to move away from that common ground.
If the 14th General Convention is recognized, we believe everyone should return to the same platform and work together to reunite the party.
Is there any possibility of unity if the 14th General Convention is not recognized?
As everyone knows, we believe unity will be possible only if the court recognizes the 14th General Convention. Otherwise, we may have to go our separate ways. Let the court deliver its verdict first; then we will know which direction everyone will take. Until the decision is made, it would be premature to say anything definitive.
What preparations are you making for the 15th General Convention?
Nothing has been finalized yet. We must first complete the election of general convention representatives. As the Nepali Congress is Nepal’s oldest democratic party, we will draw on its democratic traditions and practices while preparing for the convention. We will make every effort to reach a consensus; if that proves impossible, we will follow the democratic process.
There is also discussion about future leadership. Whom should Sher Bahadur Deuba propose to lead the party?
We will move forward after discussing the matter. Our priority is to reach a consensus as far as possible.
Is there a possibility that Dr. Shekhar Shashank Koirala, who has recently been appointed coordinator, will join you?
Yes, there is a possibility. We want to hold the general convention through consensus to the greatest extent possible. That is why we have not yet begun discussions on leadership. Dr. Koirala also has the opportunity to join this process.
There is also debate about what positions should be created for senior leaders and what roles they should be given. What is your position?
We have not yet reached the stage of discussing specific positions. However, we are strongly in favour of ensuring that senior leaders receive dignified and respected roles. No political party can move forward without respecting its senior leadership.
We want to bring everyone together, from senior leaders to younger members. The contributions of senior leaders must be recognized, and appropriate roles should be maintained for them.
Does this mean Sher Bahadur Deuba will not return to the party leadership?
That is not a possibility we are considering. Deuba himself has not expressed any desire to return to the leadership, and we are not pursuing that course either.
The next generation will lead the Nepali Congress, while senior leaders will be accorded dignified and respected positions.
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