Internal Rift in Nepali Congress Escalates Following Parallel Activities by Factions

Kathmandu. The dispute that began in the Nepali Congress after a special general convention was held without the consensus of the top leadership in the past Poush has reached its peak. The special general convention was held under the leadership of then General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma amidst disagreements between the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction, elected as President in the party's 14th General Convention held from Poush 27 to 30, and the faction led by Dr. Shekhar Koirala, who was the closest rival for the presidency in that convention.

Following the selection of Gagan Thapa as President and Bishwaprakash Sharma as Vice-President, along with the Central Working Committee, the Deuba-Koirala faction approached the Election Commission, but the commission recognized the special general convention as official. While the writ petition filed by the Deuba-Koirala faction against this decision is still pending in the Supreme Court, the dispute has now reached its climax.

Parallel activities within the Congress began last Saturday morning after Congress leader Ramesh Lekhak, who was the Home Minister during the Genji movement on Bhadra 23 and 24, was arrested by the police, pushing the dispute to its peak.

The establishment faction, which did not protest the arrest of Lekhak, a leader from the Deuba faction, issued a statement signed by Purna Bahadur Khadka, designating his post as Acting President. Khadka used the party's letterhead for the statement.

This is the first time Khadka has issued a statement in his capacity as Acting President since Gagan Thapa was elected President at the special general convention. However, the establishment faction continues to object to the statement issued by Khadka in his capacity as Acting President, even after the Election Commission recognized the special general convention.

The Deuba-Koirala faction, which issued a parallel statement on Saturday, organized a congratulatory and best wishes exchange program on Monday at Hotel Smart in Maharajgunj for the party's parliamentarians elected in the National Assembly elections held on Magh 11 and the House of Representatives elections held on Falgun 21. On Tuesday morning at 11 AM, a meeting of the Central Working Committee elected from the 14th General Convention has been called at the same hotel. They have also called a meeting of district presidents on Chaitra 19.

Meanwhile, the establishment faction has called a meeting of the Central Disciplinary Committee as a warning to take action against those engaging in activities contrary to the statute. Acting Chief Secretary of the Central Office, Krishna Prasad Dulal, has called the Disciplinary Committee meeting for Wednesday at 1 PM on Chaitra 15.

The perspectives of the establishment and the Deuba-Koirala faction on Lekhak's arrest appear to be different; the establishment seems soft, while the Deuba-Koirala group appears aggressive.

At the congratulatory program for the parliamentarians, Khadka urged party leaders and cadres to be prepared to face any political situation that may arise in the future, suggesting they are heading towards a final battle. Top leaders close to former President Deuba and leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala attended the program, including all elected members from the House of Representatives (11) and the National Assembly.

Leader Dr. Shekhar Koirala stated at the event that the tradition of holding separate gatherings within the party has been ongoing for a long time. "This is something that we Nepali Congress friends have always done, and we continue to do so now," he said. "We always have such meetings with you all."