Supreme Court hearing on Nepali Congress legitimacy dispute postponed

Kathmandu. The hearing on the petition filed by the faction led by outgoing President Sher Bahadur Deuba at the Supreme Court, challenging the Election Commission's decision to grant official recognition to the Gagan Thapa faction of the Nepali Congress, has been postponed.

Although the Supreme Court had scheduled the hearing for the Congress dispute today, no bench was assigned for the proceedings. Previously, the Supreme Court had refused to issue an interim order regarding the legitimacy dispute of the Nepali Congress. 

On 2082 Magh 6, a single bench of Judge Sunil Kumar Pokharel declined to issue an interim order and instead directed the Election Commission and others to submit a written response. Following the submission of written responses by the Election Commission, the Nepali Congress party office, and President Gagan Thapa, the case was scheduled for a hearing.

The legitimacy dispute within the Congress arose after the Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma faction called a special general convention and elected a new working committee. Former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka had filed the writ petition in court.

In the writ petition filed by Shrawan Kumar Shrestha, the representative for Congress leaders Deuba and Purna Bahadur Khadka, the petitioners have demanded the annulment of the Election Commission's decision and the dissolution of the newly elected working committee, labeling it illegal.

The Deuba faction has consistently rejected the special general convention, arguing that it lacks justification given that the date for the regular general convention has already been set.