Nepali Congress Dissident Faction Holds National Gathering as Party Struggles to Bridge Internal Divide

Kathmandu, Nepal: The Nepali Congress’s dissident faction has begun a three-day national gathering in Kathmandu, bringing together senior leaders and party workers at a time when the country’s oldest democratic party is struggling to overcome a deepening internal divide.

The gathering is being held at Miracle Party Palace in Sukedhara, with former party president and former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba attending as the chief guest. The event is expected to provide the faction with an opportunity to discuss the party’s current situation, listen to concerns from grassroots leaders and workers, and determine its political course in the days ahead.

The opening session began at 1 p.m. on Friday. The first day has been set aside for the formal inauguration, while the following two days will feature closed-door discussions.

Min Bahadur Bishwakarma, coordinator of the publicity and public relations subcommittee of the National Gathering Organizing Committee, said preparations for the gathering had been completed. He confirmed the venue and Deuba’s participation as chief guest.

For many participants, however, the gathering is about more than speeches and formal party programmes. It comes at a time when differences within the Nepali Congress have increasingly moved from internal discussions to separate political and organizational activities.

The central question facing the gathering is how the party can move forward without leaving a large section of its leadership and grassroots workers feeling excluded.

A party divided, but not yet broken

The Nepali Congress remains a single political party in legal terms, but its internal politics have become increasingly divided. Rival groups have disagreed over leadership, party organization, membership management and the process leading to the next general convention.

The dispute became more serious following the party’s special general convention earlier this year. Gagan Kumar Thapa was elected party president through that process, while Bishwaprakash Sharma was elected vice-president. Deuba and leaders associated with the opposing faction challenged the process, arguing that the convention had not adequately represented the existing party structure.

The Supreme Court later recognized the Thapa-led faction as the official Nepali Congress, bringing the immediate legal dispute to an end. But the court’s decision did not erase the political differences between the two camps.

Instead, the dispute has continued inside the party, with both sides seeking to protect their political influence and organizational interests.

Workers want the party to move forward

The internal dispute has also created uncertainty among ordinary party workers. At the local level, many activists have traditionally viewed the Nepali Congress as a broad political home where different generations and political tendencies could work together despite disagreements.

The prolonged factional struggle, however, has made that relationship more complicated.

Party workers are increasingly looking for clarity about who represents them, how organizational committees will be formed and what role they will have in the next general convention. They also want the leadership to spend more time addressing public concerns rather than remaining focused on internal power struggles.

These concerns are expected to feature prominently during the closed-door sessions of the national gathering.

Participants are likely to discuss ways to strengthen the party from the grassroots, improve communication between senior leaders and local cadres, increase opportunities for younger members and make the organization more responsive to changing public expectations.

The 15th General Convention at the centre

Much of the discussion is expected to revolve around the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention.

The dissident faction has been seeking assurances that the next general convention will be conducted through a fair and broadly acceptable process. It has also demanded appropriate representation for leaders and organizational structures associated with the previous general convention.

The faction has raised concerns about the party’s active membership process and the formation of important committees responsible for organizational management, elections and discipline.

The establishment side, meanwhile, has argued that the party needs to move ahead under the new structure created through the special general convention rather than return to the old system of factional power-sharing.

That difference has made reconciliation difficult.

Deuba’s return adds political weight

Deuba’s presence gives the gathering additional political significance. He returned to Nepal after several months abroad and is now taking part in an event organized by the faction that continues to retain substantial influence within the party.

For his supporters, his participation is an opportunity to demonstrate that the faction remains politically active and organized.

At the same time, Deuba faces a delicate task. While his supporters want to protect their position within the party, many senior Congress leaders also recognize the risks of a prolonged split. A formal division could weaken the party at a time when Nepal’s political landscape is already changing rapidly.

The challenge, therefore, is to balance political pressure with the possibility of reconciliation.

Talk of a separate political force

The growing disagreement has also led some leaders associated with the dissident faction to speak openly about the possibility of establishing a separate political force if reconciliation becomes impossible.

No formal decision to split the party has been announced. Several senior leaders have continued to emphasize that unity should remain the preferred option.

Nevertheless, the fact that the possibility of a separate political organization is being discussed publicly illustrates how serious the internal disagreement has become.

Senior figures associated with the dissident camp include Purna Bahadur Khadka, Prakash Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Bimalendra Nidhi, Shashank Koirala and Prakash Sharan Mahat. Senior leader Shekhar Koirala has also been involved in activities associated with the group, although he has maintained a cautious position on the question of forming a separate party.

More than a factional meeting

The three-day gathering is therefore being closely watched as a possible turning point for the Nepali Congress.

For the dissident faction, it is a chance to bring its leaders and workers together, discuss grievances and establish a common position. For the wider party, it is another test of whether the Nepali Congress can manage its differences through dialogue rather than division.

The party has a long tradition of accommodating different political views under one organizational umbrella. Its history has also been marked by periods of intense internal disagreement followed by efforts at reconciliation.

The current dispute is no different in one important respect: despite their differences, both sides continue to claim the Nepali Congress as their political home.

What remains uncertain is whether that shared identity will be strong enough to bring the rival groups back to the same table.

The outcome of the gathering may provide an early indication. If participants use the event to build a common position and reopen meaningful negotiations with the establishment, the party could still find a path toward reconciliation. If the gathering instead hardens existing positions, the internal crisis could enter a new and more difficult phase.

For ordinary Congress workers, the hope is simpler: that the party’s senior leaders will find a way to put organizational unity ahead of factional competition and give the party a clearer direction for the future.