KATHMANDU: The faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba has begun to reassert itself within the Nepali Congress after the party suffered a major setback in the March 5 general election.
Following the poor performance of the Gagan Thapa-led establishment faction, in which even top office bearers faced defeat, the Deuba camp has intensified parallel political activities within the party.
Although Deuba is currently abroad, the faction has been holding meetings under the leadership of former vice president Purna Bahadur Khadka.
Amid concerns that the party could face a split after the election results, a gathering of leaders aligned with the Deuba faction is currently underway at Hotel Smart in Dhumbarahi, Kathmandu.
The meeting, which began Tuesday afternoon, has drawn participation from most central committee members elected during the party’s 14th General Convention, as well as those who exited following the recent special convention.
The meeting is being chaired by Khadka, who had been entrusted with acting leadership responsibilities by Deuba in recent months.
Notably, leaders elected from the recent special convention and those currently aligned with the Thapa-led establishment faction are absent from the gathering.
Senior leader Shekhar Koirala and members of his faction are also participating in the meeting. Despite contesting the Morang-6 election with a ticket from Thapa’s side, Koirala is now seen as active within the Deuba camp.
Leader Guru Baral from the Deuba faction downplayed the significance of the meeting, stating that it should not be interpreted as a formal party forum, but rather as an informal gathering.
He said the meeting aims to help strengthen and unify the party following the electoral setback.
According to Baral, the meeting will also review the results of the March 5 election.
Discussions are also expected on the recent arrest of KP Sharma Oli, chair of the UML, and Nepali Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak by the government led by Balendra Shah.
Earlier, the Deuba faction had issued a statement condemning the arrests and demanding the release of both leaders. However, the Thapa-led faction refrained from even naming the two leaders in its response, highlighting growing divisions within the party over the issue.
The ongoing developments indicate increasing polarization within the Nepali Congress following the recent internal election setback.
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