By Our Reporter
The timing of holding the party’s 15th general convention has become further uncertain with leaders expressing conflicting views about the time of holding the convention.
Leaders like Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Kumar Thapa have been raising voices for holding the 15th general convention on the scheduled date while those close to Sher Bahadur Deuba are arguing that the convention is impossible before the general elections of 2027.
As per its charter, the party should hold its next general convention no later than mid-December 2025. Citing any unavoidable situation, the party can extend convening its general convention by six months. And there is also a constitutional provision for a political party if there are difficult and unavoidable situations, to extend the general convention by a year. This gives party president Deuba a room for holding its general convention one-and-a-half years after December 2025.
Thapa firmly said that the general convention will be held as per the schedule or before the general elections. But leaders from the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction want to hold the general convention only after the general elections.
Deuba is the party president waiting to become the prime minister yet again when the incumbent KP Sharma Oli hands over the reins after one-and-a-half years.
Deuba is 78 years old and he cannot run for the party presidency again as he has already been elected its chief two times. So, Deuba wants to defer the date of the general convention so that he can distribute election tickets in both the local, provincial and national elections. He also wants to ensure the political career of his wife Arzu Rana Deuba as well as of some of his loyalists.
If the general convention is held before the elections, a new leadership of the party will decide the party’s candidates.
Others argue that if the party convention is held before the elections, it can directly impact the local and general elections as the Congress leaders are divided along faction lines in the leadership contest.
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