Nepal’s oldest democratic party, the Nepali Congress, is facing a significant split as two factions prepare to hold separate general conventions.\n\nThe official 15th General Convention, led by party President Gagan Thapa, is set to commence on Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Khulamanch in Kathmandu.\n\nHowever, the rival faction, led by former President Sher Bahadur Deuba, has announced its boycott of Thapa’s convention. Deuba’s group has already initiated its own parallel ward conventions across 3,191 wards nationwide starting October 1, 2026, and plans to hold its central general convention in Kathmandu from December 7-9, 2026.\n\nThe Election Commission, Nepal’s constitutional body overseeing elections, and the Supreme Court, Nepal’s apex court, have both officially recognized the executive committee led by President Thapa. Despite this, the Deuba faction continues its parallel activities, deepening the internal rift within the party.\n\n
Historical Divisions and Recent Turmoil
\n\nThe current split reflects a long history of internal disputes within the Nepali Congress, which was founded nearly eight decades ago to end the Rana regime. As noted by Nepali Congress leader Purushottam Basnet in his book ‘Outline of Nepali Congress History’, the party was established in 2006 BS through the merger of the Nepali National Congress and the Nepal Prajatantra Congress in Kolkata. However, personal and factional interests have often overshadowed ideological unity, leading to divisions since its inception.\n\n”Our opposition should be without bitterness and based on principle, not personal,” stated Bishweshwar Prasad (BP) Koirala, a founding leader of the Nepali Congress. Yet, the party he helped establish has frequently been embroiled in personal rather than ideological conflicts.\n\nThe party’s internal struggles intensified following the nationwide GenZ movement, which began on September 8, 2025. The movement, protesting corruption, nepotism, the lavish lifestyles of leaders’ children, and a government ban on 26 major social media platforms, led to the resignation of the then-Prime Minister and the formation of an interim government under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki.\n\nIn the aftermath of the GenZ movement and persistent internal strife, the Nepali Congress held its second special general convention in January 2026. Gagan Thapa was unanimously elected as party President on January 15, 2026. However, former President Deuba and his faction refused to accept the results of this special convention, arguing that a general convention should not be held while a dispute over the party’s legitimacy was pending in the Supreme Court.\n\n
Convention Schedules and Future Outlook
\n\nThe 15th General Convention led by President Thapa will see delegate registration on Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3, 2026. The closed session is scheduled for October 5 and 6, 2026, with elections for various posts to take place on October 7 and 8, 2026.\n\nMeanwhile, the Deuba faction’s parallel convention schedule includes municipal conventions on October 6, 2026, provincial assembly electoral constituency conventions on October 9, 2026, and provincial conventions on November 20, 2026, culminating in their central general convention in Kathmandu from December 7-9, 2026.\n\nNepali Congress spokesperson Devraj Chalise stated that efforts are underway to elect Gagan Thapa unanimously as President. The party’s disciplinary committee has warned of action against those participating in the Deuba faction’s parallel conventions.\n\nThe exact policy or ideological differences between the Thapa and Deuba factions remain unclear, with the source article suggesting that disputes are more personal than ideological. The total number of delegates for the official 15th General Convention has not yet been confirmed, and the prospects and terms for reconciliation between the two groups remain uncertain. A full list of candidates for all posts in the official convention is also yet to be released.
