KATHMANDU: Leaders aligned with Sher Bahadur Deuba have begun voicing criticism inside the Nepali Congress following the party’s poor performance in the recent elections and the defeat of party president Gagan Kumar Thapa.
Internal tensions within the party have resurfaced after the election results, with leaders close to Deuba questioning the legitimacy and relevance of the special general convention through which Thapa assumed party leadership.
Thapa had organized the second special general convention of the party in Kathmandu on January 11 after disagreements with then-president Deuba over reform agendas raised during the Gen-Z movement last year. With support from a majority of convention representatives and backing from leaders including Bishwa Prakash Sharma, Thapa moved ahead with the convention and later assumed party leadership.
Although the Thapa faction attempted to accommodate the establishment camp, disputes escalated into a legal battle. Deuba and his allies challenged the process at the Election Commission and later approached the Supreme Court of Nepal after the commission recognized the new working committee led by Thapa.
Despite the ongoing court case, Thapa announced plans to transform the party under the slogan “Congress 2.0” and prepared for the elections with a pledge to rebuild the party as the country’s largest political force.
However, the election results proved disappointing for the party. Thapa himself contested from Sarlahi-4 but was defeated by Amresh Kumar Singh, who ran from the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
The Nepali Congress also suffered major losses nationwide, losing by wide margins in 147 of the 165 constituencies. The party secured only 18 seats under the first-past-the-post system and 20 seats through the proportional representation system.
Compared to the 2022 elections, the party’s vote share also declined significantly—from 2.7 million votes to around 1.75 million.
Following the defeat, leaders from the Deuba faction—who had remained largely silent during the election campaign—have started raising questions about the special general convention and the current leadership.
Former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the election results had effectively invalidated the rationale behind the special convention.
“We have never considered the special general convention justified. The case is under consideration in the Supreme Court and we hope it will be resolved soon,” Sitaula said.
He added that whatever decision the court delivers should be accepted in order to maintain unity within the party.
Similarly, leader Min Bishwakarma claimed the party currently has “two presidents”—one elected through the 14th general convention and another declared through the special convention.
“There are currently two presidents in the party. One elected through the 14th general convention and another declared through the special convention in the name of an emergency,” he said.
Bishwakarma also argued that the Deuba faction had accepted the Election Commission’s decision during the elections to prevent further damage to the party.
Meanwhile, leaders close to Thapa say the party is currently reviewing the election results before making any major decisions.
Deputy president Chandra Bhandari Bhusal said reports are being collected from districts regarding the election performance and the party will soon hold a meeting to evaluate the outcome.
According to Thapa’s aides, discussions are ongoing within the party regarding structural reforms and future strategy.
Some leaders have also suggested that the party leadership should pave the way for a regular general convention soon to restore unity and organizational stability within the Nepali Congress.
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