Roman Acharya

KATHMANDU: As the Nepali Congress gears up for its 15th General Convention, six senior leaders considered close to the party’s old guard have continued their organized efforts to influence the party’s future direction.

On Sunday, these influential former office bearers held a meeting focused on the upcoming convention. The meeting took place at former Vice President Gopal Man Shrestha’s apartment, located in Sanepa.

The leaders present were Shrestha himself, Bimalendra Nidhi, Dr. Shashank Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat.

Shrestha told Nepal News, “There wasn’t anything specific, we just chatted over tea.”

The discussion revolved around the party’s future convention and the current political situation. In particular, they talked about unresolved issues surrounding active membership, group expansion, and the broader political climate.

“Our party has had a longstanding dispute over active membership, and that issue remains unresolved,” Shrestha said. “The process for renewing active membership has not progressed well, and we’ve stressed the need to resolve it quickly.”

Currently, the Nepali Congress has been repeatedly extending the deadline for membership renewal. The committee handling active membership is led by General Secretary Gagan Thapa.

Shrestha added, “We have taken initiatives to ensure no problems arise during the convention.”

The President’s ambition: Who will lead after Deuba?

Much attention is focused on who will succeed Sher Bahadur Deuba as party President at the 15th general convention.

According to party rules, Deuba cannot serve a third consecutive term. However, he has not yet announced who his successor will be, nor has he given assurances to his faction’s leaders.

Influential leaders within Deuba’s group have been holding meetings from time to time, aiming to consolidate their position and declare themselves as successors. This recent meeting was part of that effort, according to Shrestha.

Deuba was elected president at the 14th general convention in Mangsir 2078 (Dec 2021).

The party constitution requires the next convention to be held by Mangsir 2082 (Dec 2025), though an extension of one year is possible, meaning the convention could be held by Mangsir 2083 (December 2026).

Currently, Shekhar Koirala is openly campaigning forpresident, while General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa is preparing quietly.

The question of who will be the presidential candidate from Deuba’s group remains a matter of speculation.

After Deuba’s silence, 11 leaders from the establishment faction met at Deuba’s residence in Budhanilkantha on Falgun 2 (mid-February) to request that Deuba name a candidate for president.

Support from Deuba is crucial for any contender from his faction.

Shrestha said, “Discussion about who will be president did not happen today.”

Expanding influence

The hour-long meeting also covered current political issues.

Shrestha said, “The budget is about to be presented, and since the government includes our leadership, there was some discussion on these topics.”

The group also decided to bring in more leaders and plans to invite interested deputy general secretaries to upcoming meetings.

They are organizing programs to visit all seven provinces to strengthen the party’s base.

“Purna Bahadur could not attend today due to health reasons, and Balkrishna Khand was unable to come because of scheduling conflicts,” Shrestha added.

“Deputy general secretaries will participate in the next meeting.”

He also confirmed they plan to continue meetings and dialogue every 15 to 20 days.