Deuba Allies Rebel, Push for Party Convention Before Elections

Kathmandu, November 15 -- Up to two dozen members of the Nepali Congress central working committee submitted a letter to the party's cen...

Kathmandu, November 15 -- Up to two dozen members of the Nepali Congress central working committee submitted a letter to the party's central committee on Friday, urging for a general convention prior to the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5.

Most of these members had challenged the party election from the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction during its 14th general assembly in December 2021.

The Nepali Congress is discussing whether to conduct a general convention prior to the March elections and whether it should be a special or standard one. The four-year term for all elected party bodies is scheduled to end in mid-December, which necessitates holding the 15th general convention. However, some senior leaders affiliated with Deuba have been pushing for postponing the convention until after the parliamentary elections.

The main working committee meeting has been discussing these two matters for the last two months, but has not managed to arrive at a decision yet.

More than 54 percent of the elected general convention representatives have called for a special convention prior to the elections and provided their signatures to the acting Congress president, Purna Bahadur Khadka. While the establishment faction supports holding the general convention only after the elections, two dozen central committee members on Friday defied the stance and requested that it take place before the elections.

"Throughout the two-month-long discussion within the party, we have come across some extreme views and opinions," said Udaya Rana, a member of the central working committee. "To unify these varied perspectives, we have chosen to present our independent opinions. We are different, but we stand for the greater unity of the party," Rana told the Post, noting that they do not wish to be associated with any particular faction or group inside the party.

Because the dispute regarding the general convention and its timing cannot be settled, the central committee meeting has remained undecided for weeks. On Friday, the petitioners called for the 15th general convention to be held in November or December, with a schedule released right away.

Among the signatories of the petition are prominent individuals such as Rajendra Kumar KC, Bharat Kumar Shah, Arjun Prasad Joshi, Puspa Bhusal, Karna Bahadur Budha, Ganesh Lama, Ang Gelu Sherpa, Dila Sangroula, Udaya Rana, Nanu Bastola, Dhana Khatiwada, Abdul Razak, Devendra Raj Kandel, Yogendra Chaudhary, Gopal Dahit, Bahadur Singh Lama, Dilman Pakhrin, Abdul Sattar, Mohan Acharya, Amrit Aryal, Jipchhiring Lama, Ramjanam Chaudhary, and Champadevi Khadka.

The petition states: "To ensure the upcoming [parliamentary] election is outcome-focused, the 15th General Convention must be held in Mangsir [November/December 2025] as per the party's constitution, and a comprehensive plan should be developed to conduct the convention in an organized way."

In the same way, the letter emphasized that the 15th convention should guarantee active involvement of young people, women, Dalits, indigenous groups, Tharus, Madhesis, Muslims, underrepresented regions and social classes, as well as individuals with disabilities, at every level of the party's framework.

Deuba landed in Singapore on Friday evening. His involvement within the party is anticipated to help reach a timely resolution on the important issue.

Deuba and his wife, Arzu Rana Deuba, traveled to Singapore for medical care after sustaining injuries during the Gen Z-driven September protests.