Kathmandu, Aug 12: The Nepali Congress faction outside the establishment has gained confidence after the Supreme Court allowed a review of its ruling in the party’s legitimacy dispute. The planned address by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba at the faction’s national gathering has further boosted its morale.
The dissident camp says the gathering is aimed at promoting party unity. However, its recent activities, pressure on party leadership and a letter asking President Gagan Kumar Thapa to halt major party decisions suggest a broader political agenda.
Leaders say the gathering could set a new political and organisational direction for the party. The dissident faction has intensified meetings and consultations in recent days, with leaders publicly stressing unity rather than division.
Speaking at a youth gathering in Kathmandu on Monday, leader Prakash Man Singh said the national gathering was not intended to seek party positions.
He said the party must follow democratic practices, rules and procedures, adding that the younger generation should also take responsibility for leading the country. Dr Shekhar Koirala’s renewed activity has added another dimension to the gathering. After remaining largely neutral for an extended period, Koirala has begun aligning with the dissident camp, potentially altering the party’s internal power balance.
He has also met President Thapa to discuss advancing the party through unity. However, his role is being interpreted differently within the dissident camp itself.
Dissident leaders say there has been no formal dialogue to resolve the dispute. Meen Bishwakarma, coordinator of the national gathering publicity committee, said no negotiations are currently taking place.
“If Gagan Kumar Thapa brings a dramatic proposal, that would be different,” Bishwakarma said. He added that the gathering scheduled for August 14 to 16 would go ahead and talks were unlikely before then.
He said if unity is achieved before the gathering, the party would move forward under Thapa. Otherwise, the dispute could shift toward determining leadership for the 14th general convention.
Leader Prakash Sharan Mahat said the faction had accepted the Election Commission’s decision despite disagreeing with it, but chose a separate course after what he described as attempts to control the party’s electoral process.
He said the faction wants the 15th general convention to be conducted fairly and according to the party statute. He accused the leadership of delaying the process in the name of membership verification and dialogue.
National gathering organising committee member Sirjana Malla said the gathering would serve as a platform to formulate strategies until the Supreme Court delivers its final verdict.
The return of Deuba after medical treatment is also expected to give the gathering greater political weight. Organisers plan to discuss the party’s future and unity under his guidance.
Ahead of the gathering, the dissident faction formally asked President Thapa to put all major party decisions, including convention preparations, on hold.
Organising committee coordinator Dr Shashank Koirala told the central committee that the Supreme Court’s decision to allow a review had placed the party’s legitimacy and the legal status of its existing leadership under review.
The faction has demanded suspension of organisational, technical and policy preparations for the 15th or special general convention until the court delivers its final verdict. It has also urged the leadership to avoid long term political, organisational, policy and financial decisions during the period.
The faction warned that any activity affecting the pending legal case could create legal complications, holding the responsible side accountable for any possible contempt of court.
While the dissident camp publicly presents the gathering as an effort to reunite the Congress, the Supreme Court order, pressure on Thapa, demands to halt convention preparations and plans for a new strategy indicate that the gathering could become a major test of the party’s internal power balance.
Senior advocate and former lawmaker Radheshyam Adhikari described the dispute as an internal party matter and said Congress should resolve it through unity rather than further escalation.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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