Nepali Congress faces leadership crisis and factional split

The Nepali Congress (NC) is facing a deepening internal crisis as leadership disputes and ideological disagreements threaten to split the party. A three-day national gathering of the party’s dissident faction has decided to hold the 15th General Convention under the leadership of former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. This move challenges the legitimacy of the current president, Gagan Thapa, whose leadership has faced intense criticism from the non-establishment faction regarding his working style and ability to deliver political results.

Amidst the power struggle, ideological fault lines have emerged regarding Nepal’s secular identity. During a gathering aligned with Deuba, some leaders pushed for the inclusion of a Vedic Sanatan state in the party’s conclusions. While Deuba identified himself as a Hindu, he maintained that Nepal should remain a secular state, prompting objections from leaders like Bimalendra Nidhi who argued such provisions conflict with the national constitution.

In an attempt to mediate, leader Shashank Koirala expressed a willingness to accept Thapa as president, provided that senior leaders are accommodated within the party structure. Koirala noted that the ongoing dispute is essentially a struggle over positions and is working to bridge the gap between the Thapa and Deuba factions.