Debate within the Nepali Congress over whether to hold the party’s general convention before the upcoming elections has intensified. A total of 25 Central Committee members close to party president Sher Bahadur Deuba have now pressed the leadership to finalize the date for the convention without delay.
On Kartik 24, twenty-four Central Committee members submitted a signed memorandum to the party’s central office in Sanepa demanding that the general convention be held before the election. During Monday’s meeting in Kupandol, Central Committee member Chinakaji Shrestha joined the initiative, raising the total number to 25.
Senior Leaders Express Support
According to Central Committee member Anggelu Sherpa, who participated in the meeting, the initiative has drawn the attention of several senior leaders. “Former Vice President Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar and former General Secretary Shashank Koirala also called us to express their support and solidarity,” Sherpa told .
Gachchhadar had already stated during a Central Committee meeting that the party should proceed with the general convention before the election. Koirala emphasized avoiding internal divisions and urged the party to reach a unanimous decision from the Central Committee.
He also suggested incorporating the concerns of those calling for a special convention and moving ahead with the regular general convention. The group of 25 Central Committee members held discussions from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.
After the meeting, Sherpa told that they intend to meet President Deuba collectively. “It has been decided that we will meet the party president together to discuss the demand for a pre-election general convention and other related issues,” he said.
“We will present our views and our position directly to the president.” Sherpa added that the group has already held three to four internal review meetings. They did not participate in the gathering of Central Committee members organized by some office-bearers and former office-bearers aligned with Deuba last Saturday.
General Convention Date Still Unsettled
The Nepali Congress Central Committee meeting, which began on Asoj 28, has yet to finalize the date for the general convention. The meeting is scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. this Thursday, where discussions are expected to focus on whether to hold the 15th General Convention before the election, call a special convention, or wait until Baisakh.
The 25 Central Committee members demanding a general convention ahead of the election are Rajendrakumar Shrestha, Bharatkumar Shah, Arjun Prasad Joshi, Pushpa Bhusal, Karnabahadur Budha, Ganesh Lama, Anggelu Sherpa, Dila Sangraula, Uday Shamsher Rana, Nanu Bastola, Dhana Khatiwada, Abdul Razzak, Devendraraj Kandel, Yogendra Chaudhary, Gopal Dahit, Bahadur Singh Lama, Dilman Pakhrin, Abdul Sattar, Mohan Acharya, Amrit Aryal, Jipchhiring Lama, Ramjanam Chaudhary, Champadevi Khadka, Narayan Bahadur Karki and Chinakaji Shrestha. As the election approaches, pressure on the party leadership continues to rise, making Thursday’s Central Committee meeting a critical moment for the Nepali Congress.
