Nepali Congress Faces Weakest Ever Parliamentary Presence After Election Defeat; Leadership Under Pressure to Resign

Kathmandu. The results of the House of Representatives election held on Falgun 21 have made the Nepali Congress the second major political force, but it will have its weakest presence in parliament in history. Consequently, there is a debate within the party leadership on whether to take responsibility for the defeat or not.

According to the vote counting that concluded just on Thursday, the Congress is set to be represented in the House of Representatives with 38 lawmakers, having won 18 seats through the first-past-the-post system and 20 through proportional representation.

Following the Jana Andolan (People's Movement), a special general convention was held where Gagan Thapa was elected as the President. At the special general convention held in Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, from Poush 27 to 30, Thapa was elected President and Bishwaprakash Sharma as Vice President. Under their leadership, the Congress contested the House of Representatives elections with the slogan, 'Change Congress, Change the Nation.'

During the election, President Thapa himself publicly directed leaders and cadres to adopt the slogan 'This time, cross one hundred' ('Abaki Baar Say Paar'). This statement implied that the Congress would win more than 100 seats in the House of Representatives.

However, the Congress was so severely defeated in the election that the number of seats won indicates a path toward its weakest historical presence.

With internal party rebellion leading to the failure to secure the mandate received in the previous election, let alone becoming a competitive opposition, President Thapa is reportedly in a state of mind to resign. Before the election results were fully declared, on the evening of Falgun 25, Monday, President Thapa reportedly informed Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma of his intention to resign on moral grounds.

Sharma's secretariat informed the media that during the meeting, President Thapa stated his intention to resign, taking responsibility for the defeat suffered in the election.

"It is appropriate for me to resign, taking responsibility for the party's defeat in the election. I will resign," Thapa told Sharma.

After he announced his resignation, Sharma advised him not to resign, stating that the President alone was not to blame for the electoral defeat and that resigning now would put the party in further difficulty. Sharma suggested that a Central Committee meeting should be called to review the election and discuss the matter.

Sources close to Thapa indicate that he subsequently changed his mind. "He was preparing to resign. It seems his mindset changed after meeting with the Vice President," a source close to Thapa stated. "His current stance is to call a Central Committee meeting for discussion, and proceed based on the conclusion reached in that discussion."

Congress Spokesperson Devraj Ghimire informed that they are preparing to summon a meeting of the Central Committee to review the election, scheduled to convene within the first week of Chaitra. "We are preparing to call a Central Working Committee meeting within the first week of Chaitra to review the election," Spokesperson Chalise told Ratopati.

When asked by Ratopati, "There are reports that President Thapa is going to resign!", Spokesperson Chalise stated that the President's resignation would not be based on market rumors. "The President's resignation will not come due to market rumors," Chalise said. "We are preparing to call a Central Working Committee meeting to review the election. What needs to be done will be known after discussion in that meeting. The President will resign in the Central Working Committee meeting, not on the street."

President Thapa is under pressure after he himself was defeated in the House of Representatives election. Thapa was defeated in Sarlahi-4 by Dr. Amresh Kumar Singh, the candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party.