Kathmandu — A group of Nepali Congress leaders advocating for an early special convention is set to gather in the capital today, aiming to intensify pressure on the party leadership to move the process forward.
According to leader Gururaj Ghimire, the meeting will take place this afternoon at Thapagaun Banquet in New Baneshwor. The gathering follows weeks of internal discussions after 2,488 delegates out of 4,743 from the 14th General Convention signed a petition demanding a special convention.
The petition was formally handed to Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka on October 15, but party insiders say the leadership has not yet initiated any formal steps to address it.
Leaders Divided Over Convention Schedule
While the party’s senior leaders continue to emphasize holding the regular general convention, they have struggled to finalize a schedule through the central committee. Supporters of the special convention argue that the leadership vacuum and organizational inertia have made their demand increasingly relevant.
In recent days, the special convention advocates have met both Acting President Khadka and Leader Shekhar Koirala, reiterating their call to start the formal process. Today’s gathering, they say, aims to strengthen internal unity and send a clear message to the leadership that the demand cannot be ignored.
Coinciding with the Thapagaun assembly, the Nepali Congress Central Committee will reconvene at 1 p.m. in Sanepa after a two-day pause. The meeting is expected to revisit efforts to agree on a Mahadhiveshan (General Convention) timetable.
Differences remain sharp within the party: the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction favors holding the regular convention only after the upcoming elections — likely in Baisakh, while General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, along with Leader Shekhar Koirala, have been pushing for the 15th convention before the elections.
The dispute has delayed submission of any formal proposal to the central committee, reflecting the party’s deepening internal rift.
