Kathmandu, Sept 15: The Supreme Court has declined to register a writ petition challenging the separate schedules announced by the two rival factions of the Nepali Congress for the party’s 15th general convention.
NC active member and lawyer Maniram Upadhyaya had filed the petition on Monday, arguing that the existence of rival central working committees had created uncertainty over which faction was legally authorised to convene the party’s highest organisational gathering.
Upadhyaya had sought an order preventing both factions from proceeding with their respective convention plans until the dispute over the party leadership and the legitimacy of the rival committees was settled.
The Supreme Court rejected the petition, saying the issue is already before a full bench and that it has previously declined to stop the convention process by interim order.
SC spokesperson Arjun Prasad Koirala said the court could not entertain another petition seeking the same relief while the matter remained under consideration.
The dispute centres on two competing convention schedules. The faction led by NC President Gagan Kumar Thapa has fixed October 2 to 5 for the 15th general convention, while the faction led by former president Sher Bahadur Deuba has announced December 7 to 9.
The rival schedules have deepened the organisational dispute within the country’s oldest major political party, with both sides claiming legitimacy and accusing the other of acting unilaterally.
The latest Supreme Court decision means neither faction has received judicial backing to halt the other’s convention schedule. The broader legal dispute over the party’s organisational legitimacy remains pending before the court.
Deuba faction fixes December 7 to 9 for NC general convention
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress faction led by former president Sher Bahadur Deuba has announced that it will hold the party’s 15th general convention from December 7 to 9, setting up a direct clash with the convention calendar announced by party President Gagan Kumar Thapa’s faction.
The Deuba faction unveiled its schedule at a press conference on Monday, blaming the Thapa-led establishment for failing to make meaningful efforts to preserve party unity and engage in dialogue.
Dr Shashank Koirala, coordinator of the faction’s general convention preparation committee, said the ward-level conventions would begin on October 1, following the schedule approved by the leadership elected at the party’s 14th general convention.
He also questioned the establishment faction’s decision to proceed with its convention without waiting for the Supreme Court to settle the dispute.
“Moving ahead unilaterally without waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court cannot be considered appropriate at any cost,” Koirala said.
He called for a settlement that takes into account both the legal and political dimensions of the dispute, saying the party’s future should remain the main consideration.
The announcement came a day after the Thapa-led establishment faction decided to begin ward-level conventions on September 19 and hold the 15th general convention from October 2 to 5.
The two competing schedules have effectively created parallel convention processes within the NC. The Supreme Court is already considering a related dispute over the legitimacy of the rival party structures, while neither faction appears ready to abandon its own organisational timetable.
The Deuba faction’s decision to set December dates therefore adds another layer to the leadership dispute and leaves the party facing the prospect of rival conventions unless the two sides reach a political settlement or the court issues a binding decision.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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