The dissident faction of the Nepali Congress aligned with Sher Bahadur Deuba has selected leadership in eight districts and opened a contact office at Chundevi in Kathmandu as rival convention activities continue. The move comes after the establishment faction led by Gagan Thapa held the party’s 15th general convention from Ashoj 18 to 23, forming a 231-member working committee for a four-year term. With a decision on which side will be recognized as legitimate still pending, the Deuba group is also seeking to bring back leaders who lost positions or are dissatisfied with the establishment convention.
Parallel convention activities continue
The Deuba-aligned group has been conducting its own convention activities alongside the process completed by the establishment faction. It has so far chosen leaders in eight districts, according to the reports, and has established a contact point at Chundevi in Kathmandu. The available information does not identify the eight districts or provide a full list of the leaders selected there. The developments indicate that the rival group is continuing to build its organization while the dispute over the party’s leadership remains unresolved.
The opening of a contact office gives the faction a base in the capital as it continues those activities. No further details have been provided about the office’s staffing, its operating arrangements or the specific services it will provide. The reports also do not set out a timetable for additional district conventions or say how many districts the group intends to cover. For now, the stated progress is the selection of leadership in eight districts and the establishment of the Kathmandu contact office.
Establishment faction completes 15th general convention
The establishment faction led by Thapa completed the Nepali Congress’s 15th general convention over five days, from Ashoj 18 to 23. The convention produced a 231-member working committee, with Thapa as chair. The committee is set to serve a four-year term, according to the summary of the convention’s outcome.
That completed process provides the backdrop to the rival activities. While the establishment group has formed its working committee, the Deuba faction is proceeding with separate conventions and leadership selections. The two developments have left the party with competing organizational claims while a decision on legitimacy is awaited. The reports provided do not state who will make that decision, when it is expected, or what procedure will be used to resolve the dispute.
Effort to draw back dissatisfied leaders
Alongside its district-level organizing, the Deuba group is working to bring back leaders who were defeated or who are dissatisfied with the establishment faction’s convention. The effort is described as taking place ahead of the legitimacy decision, suggesting that the faction is trying to broaden its support during the period of uncertainty. The available reports do not give a number of leaders being approached or identify all those involved in the effort.
The focus on defeated and dissatisfied figures links the faction’s organizational work with its attempt to consolidate support. Its parallel conventions have produced leadership in eight districts, while efforts to reconnect with discontented leaders could bring additional members into its camp. However, the sources do not report how many people have returned, whether any prominent leaders have formally joined the faction, or what commitments have been made.
Party recognition remains unresolved
The central unresolved issue is which faction will be recognized as the legitimate Nepali Congress leadership. The establishment group has completed its 15th general convention and formed a 231-member committee under Thapa, while the Deuba faction continues to hold parallel activities and select district leaders. Until a decision is made, both the rival organizing and the effort to gather support are unfolding against an unsettled party status.
No conclusion on the outcome can be drawn from the reported developments alone. The eight district selections and the Chundevi office show the Deuba faction’s continuing activity, but the reports do not say whether these steps will affect the legitimacy decision. They also do not provide details on a formal response from the establishment faction. The next significant development will be the pending decision on legitimacy, which will determine how the competing claims are addressed.
