KATHMANDU, Jan 2: The Nepali Congress (NC) remains mired in uncertainty over a proposed special general convention, with tensions deepening after a rival faction led by General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma moved closer to convening the event without the consent of party President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
The faction has booked Bhrikuti Mandap as the venue for a two-day special general convention beginning January 11—National Unity Day. The decision was taken unilaterally, and the establishment faction, led by Deuba, has yet to issue an official response.
Following the venue booking, President Deuba called the general secretary duo for talks, but the meeting did not materialise. Thapa and Sharma are now scheduled to address a press conference on Friday to clarify their position.
NC at a crossroads: Pressure builds for special general convent...
The move is backed by a nationwide call from the same faction urging party cadres to converge in Kathmandu. The faction is seeking to turn this national gathering into a special general convention, a step widely seen as an attempt to exert pressure on the top leadership, particularly the Deuba-led establishment.
Supporters of the initiative have intensified the #OccupySanepa campaign, calling for the occupation of the party’s central office, with an increasing number of leaders and cadres joining the movement.
As youth leaders rally behind the call, concerns have emerged over the possibility of a split in the country’s largest political party—an outcome both rival and establishment factions publicly dismiss.
“We do not believe the party will split as long as leaders adhere to the party constitution. Despite the current tensions, we are confident they will do so,” said Shankar Tiwari, an influential youth leader of the NC.
Tiwari argued that the proposed national gathering would strengthen internal democracy rather than undermine party unity. Echoing this view, NC lawmaker Ajay Babu Siwakoti said the call aims to revive political activity within the party.
“We are organising these gatherings in line with the party constitution, and they will help reinforce democratic practices within the party,” Siwakoti said.
Immediately after the Gen Z protests on September 8–9, around 54 percent of convention representatives submitted signatures to Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka, demanding a special general convention. Under party rules, if at least 40 percent of representatives seek a special convention, it must be convened within three months of the submission.
