Nepali Congress Faces Possible Split Ahead of Pivotal Election

The Nepali Congress is experiencing internal strife as a dissident faction pushes for leadership elections before the national polls. Despite Sher Bahadur Deuba's disapproval, general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma move forward with a Special General Convention. A party split looms with significant implications for its future.

The Nepali Congress is teetering on the edge of division just weeks before the pivotal March 5 general election. Internal tensions have escalated as a dissident faction, led by general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, defies the party's president and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba by announcing an election schedule to choose a new leader.

Continuing their Special General Convention into its third day, the faction is determined to address demands from Gen Z youths and rejuvenate the party organization prior to the election. This move directly conflicts with Deuba's faction, which insists that the regular 15th general convention be held after the national polls in May.

With the election committee finalizing the voters and candidates lists, the dissidents, who claim 66 percent support among delegates, are poised to challenge the current leadership. Legal experts affirm that any new executive body elected could legally replace Deuba, setting the stage for a political sea-change within the party.