Nepali Congress Factions Near Unity Deal as Lower-Level Convention Schedule Faces Another Revision

The Nepali Congress is preparing to delay its ward-level conventions for a second time as internal unity talks and recent floods disrupt preparations for the party’s general convention.

General secretary Pradeep Paudel said Sunday that the ward conventions scheduled to begin Wednesday would be rescheduled. The date of the general convention will remain October 2-5, he said. The Central Working Committee, meeting Sunday, was expected to decide on the revised timetable.

Party president Gagan Thapa has intensified efforts to settle internal differences and hold what he calls a unity convention. Through various leaders, he has been speaking with former president Sher Bahadur Deuba, former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka and leader Shekhar Koirala. Koirala and Khadka have appeared receptive, while Deuba and his allies say the convention should wait until court proceedings over the party leadership are resolved.

Deuba and Khadka separately sought a review of the Supreme Court’s April 17 ruling, which recognised the special general convention and the Central Working Committee elected under Thapa. The Supreme Court allowed the review petitions to proceed on August 6. It later declined to issue an interim order blocking the convention schedule, allowing the establishment faction to continue preparations.

Thapa’s side has since shown greater flexibility and is prepared to consider Koirala’s five-point proposal, which it rejected about three months ago. The proposal would not require active party membership to be updated for the 15th convention. It would also recognise memberships renewed after the 14th convention, including those renewed by December 25, 2025.

Koirala further proposed integrating office bearers and Central Working Committee members from the previous Deuba-led committee into the committee formed after the special convention. He called for a central working performance committee dominated by presidential nominees, and for the election, membership-screening, disciplinary and statute-amendment committees to be formed through consensus among the factions.