Nepali Congress Faction Holds Regional Gathering in Pokhara

Pokhara. The establishment-fringe faction of the Nepali Congress is going to hold a large regional gathering in Pokhara, the capital of Gandaki. A large gathering is being prepared on Saturday with the presence of leaders and workers from all eleven districts of the province, informed Congress Gandaki Vice-President Mekhalal Shrestha. News has emerged that discussions are ongoing regarding a new party name and symbol after the incumbent President Sher Bahadur Deuba faction opened a party contact office in Anamnagar.

It is estimated that the gathering in Pokhara will fuel the party's division. However, the faction holding the gathering claims it will not support the party's division. "The party will not be divided under any circumstances, nor should it be. If anyone tries to do so, we will stop them," Shrestha said. "This gathering has been organized for the greater unity of the party and its future direction. We will strategize on how to bring our faction to leadership from the 15th General Convention." The gathering has been called at Deep Sagar Hotel located in New Road.

Since Gagan Thapa became president through a special general convention, the Deuba-aligned group has been carrying out parallel activities. Former central member Pushpa Adhikari said that the gathering has been organized because the old tradition of ideological competition and debate within Congress has diminished. "We have come through ideological competition. Many friends used to discuss ideology," he said. "Now, all those aspects have weakened. The gathering has been organized to keep the ideology alive."

Former central members, provincial committee members, district presidents, regional presidents, municipal presidents, and Mahasamiti members have been invited to the gathering. However, Adhikari stated that the attendance at the gathering is expected to be spontaneous. He informed that the program will be conducted as a closed session, not an open assembly, and conclusions will be drawn from it regarding the current state of the party and the country.

They have expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the current working committee has handled the active membership renewal and update process incorrectly. Former central member Guru Baral said that it is wrong to call the renewal done for the upcoming general convention a renewal again after removing it. He commented that the campaign to update membership through technology is still not organized and that disputes have increased due to a lack of consensus among the leadership.

Baral stated that pressure will be created on the central committee to unite the party through the current gathering. He said that when Congress is weak, many problems arise in the country, and the efforts of the current generation are necessary to strengthen it.