Shashank Koirala set to spearhead split in Nepali Congress

Shashank Koirala, once seen as a potential leader of the Nepali Congress, is now poised to lead a new political faction, breaking away from the party's traditional banner and symbol. The move comes after opposition from the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction to the party's special general convention earlier this year.

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Shashank Koirala is our leader today, and he will remain our leader moving forward.

A three-day national gathering in Kathmandu, set for August 14 to 16, will prepare for the formation of this separate political party. This action will proceed unless a dramatic reconciliation between the Congress factions takes place soon. Koirala was appointed on Saturday to lead the 521-member main organizing committee, taking over from Purna Bahadur Khadka, who had been coordinating the Deuba faction's activities.

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My goodness, what has happened to the intellect of BP’s son? Where will following leaders like Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Min Bishwakarma, Kanchharam Tamang, and Kundan Raj Kafle lead him after breaking the party? Destruction leads to perverted wisdom. What would BP think from above? He could have at least remained inactive. After enjoying power for so many years on his father’s legacy, he is now choosing to sink the ship along with himself.

Koirala's decision has ignited sharp criticism on social media. Many are accusing the son of the Nepali Congress founder, BP Koirala, of engineering a party split, with public sentiment largely hostile. Muktinath Panta, a former security supervisor, expressed dismay on Facebook, questioning Koirala's intellect and the wisdom of following leaders like Mohan Bahadur Basnet and Min Bishwakarma, suggesting his actions would lead to destruction.

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He [Shashank] neither possesses the capacity to establish a party nor the ability to run one successfully. Nor did he accomplish anything significant while remaining within the Nepali Congress. He has no proven capability other than receiving things served on a platter.

Others have questioned Koirala's leadership capacity. Tej Bahadur Raut, a former teacher in South Korea, stated that Koirala lacks the ability to establish or successfully run a party, and has achieved little within the Nepali Congress, attributing his past successes to his father's legacy. Former senator Pankaj Subedi urged Koirala to engage in constructive discussions with President Gagan Thapa to unify the party and prevent his legacy from being stained by this move.

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Personally, Dr Shashank Koirala is a good man. I remain hopeful that he will act in the broader interest of the Nepali Congress. Please engage in restrained and constructive discussions with President Gagan Thapa to build a unified Nepali Congress. Do not allow this conspiracy to stain your legacy permanently.