Congress Leaders Establish Separate Contact Offices Amidst Internal Disputes

Kathmandu. The dispute that started after the Nepali Congress underwent a special general convention in the last week of Poush, which changed the leadership against the disagreement of the then central committee and the president, has not yet been resolved. Instead of holding discussions among leaders at the party office to resolve that dispute, separate activities have been started by setting up contact offices for each top leader.

With senior leaders setting up contact offices, the crowd of leaders and cadres has started increasing in the contact offices rather than the party office.

Dr. Shekhar Koirala has had a contact office in Vishal Nagar for a long time. There, he meets his group's leaders and cadres, as well as President Gagan Thapa, party office bearers, and former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka as needed. President Gagan Thapa visited that contact office on Baisakh 22 to meet Dr. Koirala.

On the same day that President Thapa visited, former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka also went to Dr. Koirala's contact office to meet him. Koirala also holds meetings of his group at that office.

After the special general convention, there are 3 factions in Congress – one is the faction of former president Sher Bahadur Deuba, another is Dr. Koirala's faction, and the establishment faction.

The activities of the establishment faction should be held at the party's central office, but some office bearers meet leaders and cadres at their own contact offices in addition to the central office.

President Thapa had set up a contact office in Anamnagar during the special general convention. That office is still in operation. Leader Manojmani Acharya is leading that office. President Thapa sometimes visits there, while central members Pratima Gautam, Sita Mijar, Lekhnath Pokharel, and others hold meetings and discussions at the same office.

Central member Mijar informed that there is a contact office in Anamnagar. Although President Thapa instructed to close it, it has not been closed yet, she said. 'It is a contact office set up during the special general convention. The President had instructed to close it. It has not been closed yet,' she said.

President Thapa also meets leaders and cadres and holds secret discussions at Hotel Aranya in Nakshal. Although many programs and meetings are held at the party's central office in Sanepa, Thapa's close sources informed that evening and morning meetings and special meetings are held at Hotel Aranya. Apart from that, contact offices that Thapa opened in various places when he was a member of parliament from Kathmandu-4 are still in operation. Sources informed that discussions are ongoing about whether to close or keep those offices based on need.

Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma has a contact office in Dhobighat, Lalitpur. Sharma's personal secretary Dinesh Thapa Magar informed that there is a contact office in Dhobighat and Vice President Sharma occasionally meets leaders and cadres there.

General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire used to hold meetings at a contact office in Anamnagar before the special general convention. Now, instead of going to that office, he meets leaders and cadres at the party office.

Former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka meets leaders and cadres at his residence in Golfutar and holds meetings of top leaders. President Gagan Thapa also visited Khadka's residence in Golfutar on Baisakh 5 and 23 to meet him.

After the Supreme Court gave official recognition to the committee formed from the special general convention, former acting president Khadka held a meeting of the central committee that came from the 14th general convention and became former after the special general convention at Smart Hotel in Maharajgunj.

Youth leaders from the Sher Bahadur Deuba group, who were outside the party establishment after the special general convention, opened a contact office in Anamnagar only from Tuesday. Former central member Laxmi Khatiwada informed that the youth leaders have set up a contact office in Anamnagar to meet leaders and cadres. 'We opened a contact office in Anamnagar 3-4 days ago. Top leaders do not come there. We meet among friends,' Khatiwada told Ratopati.

Former spokesperson Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat informed that he is looking for a house to set up a contact office as there is no place for friends to meet and talk. 'There is no other objective. There is no place to meet and talk. How long can we stay and meet at the leaders' homes?' Dr. Mahat told Ratopati. 'We are looking for a building for that. There is no other reason.'

When asked if there are reports of searching for a building to set up an office for the effort to form a new party, Dr. Mahat said, 'That is just a rumor. We, who were outside during the special general convention, are saying that we should form a mechanism that makes the 15th general convention feel that it will be fair, impartial, and free from rigging, and then hold the convention.'

Apart from that, former general secretary Prakashman Singh meets at his residence in Chakchibari, former vice president Bimalendra Nidhi at his residence in Middle Baneshwor, and former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula at his residence in Vishal Nagar.

Former general secretary Dr. Shashank Koirala has a contact office in Maharajgunj. The contact office from the time of former Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala is still in operation. Dr. Shashank Koirala meets leaders and cadres there.