The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday declined to issue an interim order in a case challenging the Election Commission’s decision to recognise the Gagan Thapa-led leadership of the Nepali Congress, effectively allowing the status quo to continue.

Hearing a writ petition filed by Sher Bahadur Deuba and Purna Bahadur Khadka, a single bench of Justice Sunil Kumar Pokharel refused the request for interim relief but summoned both rival factions of the party for discussions. The court, however, issued a show-cause order to the Election Commission, seeking clarification on its decision.

With the court declining interim intervention, the legal validity granted to the Thapa faction by the EC remains intact for the time being.

Deuba and Khadka had approached the Supreme Court arguing that the EC erred in recognising the leadership elected through the special general convention. They demanded that the election process be halted until the dispute over the commission’s decision was resolved. During Tuesday’s hearing, they further sought an interim order either suspending nominations in 165 constituencies or stopping the election process altogether. The court rejected these demands.

The petitioners argued that proceeding with the election without resolving the dispute would effectively exclude the country’s oldest political party from the electoral process. They named the EC, Gagan Thapa, vice-president Bishwa Prakash Sharma and the central working committee formed after the special convention as respondents.

Deuba, claiming to be the party president elected by the 14th general convention, has termed the special general convention itself unlawful.