Supreme Court Continues Hearing on Nepali Congress Legitimacy Dispute

Kathmandu. The Supreme Court is set to continue the hearing today regarding the writ petition concerning the legitimacy dispute within the Nepali Congress. The hearing, which could not be concluded on Thursday, was rescheduled for today after the writ filed by the faction led by outgoing President Sher Bahadur Deuba against the Election Commission's decision to grant legitimacy to the Gagan Thapa faction was left pending.

The case is being heard by a joint bench of Supreme Court Justices Saranga Subedi and Nripadhwaj Niraula. Arguments from the Deuba faction and the government attorneys representing the Commission have concluded. Today, the defense will be presented on behalf of Congress President Gagan Thapa and Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma, who have been named as defendants in the writ.

Previously, the Supreme Court had refused to issue an interim order in the case regarding the Nepali Congress legitimacy dispute. On 2082 Magh 6, a single bench of Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel declined to issue an interim order and instead directed the Election Commission and others to submit a written response.

The hearing was scheduled after the Election Commission, the Nepali Congress party office, and President Gagan Thapa submitted their written responses. The dispute arose after the group led by Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma called a special general convention and elected a new working committee.

The then-acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka had filed the writ petition in court. In the petition filed by Shrawan Kumar Shrestha, the authorized representative of Congress leaders Deuba and Purna Bahadur Khadka, the court has been requested to annul the Election Commission's decision and dissolve the newly elected working committee, terming 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.