The two rival factions of the Nepali Congress — one led by Prime Minister and party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and the other by senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel — reached a truce on Saturday paving the way for holding the party’s local level conventions in all 6,743 wards of the country.

Although the Deuba and Poudel factions had agreed to hold the ward-level conventions on September 3, they have been postponed to September 7 owing to lack of preparations, floods and landslides in different parts of the country, and the Covid-19 restrictions in some districts, according to a party leader.

The two factions also said they have resolved the row over the distribution of active membership, which had remained a bone of contention for months, and are set to hold the party’s 14th general convention on November 25-29 in Kathmandu amid Covid-19 pandemic.

Nepali Congress leaders say now the party’s entire focus is on the upcoming general convention and whether Nepali Congress will see a leadership change.

“We have reached an agreement to hold the ward-level conventions on September 3 and this will ensure that the 14th general convention will be held on schedule,” said senior Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh.

For the first time, the Nepali Congress has almost doubled the number of its active members. With the addition of around half a million new active members, the number has reached 8,527,11.

The party however is still silent on how to conduct the general convention in a safe setting given the pandemic.

“There are concerns among the leaders and the rank and file about possible Covid-19 spread,” said another senior party leader Dr Shekhar Koirala. “We have to think about some alternatives to holding the general convention physically.”

The party has already booked the Bhrikutimandap and Rastriya Sabha Griha to hold the general convention in November.

Besides thousands of elected representatives from all 77 districts, the general convention will see another hundreds of thousands of party leaders, cadres, supporters and well-wishers gathered in the capital.

Convention management including making arrangements for the food and accommodation for thousands of leaders and cadres for five to six days will be a tall order for the organisers especially in the midst of a pandemic.

And if the party, which is heading the government, violated the Covid-19 health protocols, it could have severe consequences for public health and attract a public backlash.

“At the ward level, we can hold the convention physically because there will be fewer participants. If the number of voters is too big then the district elections commissions can set up two or more voting booths,” said Koirala, who himself is a medical doctor. “We can hold the conventions up to the district levels physically. For the election of central and provincial bodies, we should make voting arrangements at the respective district headquarters. It is not possible to bring people to Kathmandu in the midst of the pandemic.”

“We are under pressure to prevent the party from being invalidated. So we must complete the general convention before September-end,” another senior Nepali Congress leader said. “Despite the health risks, party president Deuba has also agreed to convene ward-level conventions to avoid criticism.”

Deuba, 75, who took the party reins in 2016, is eyeing yet another term.

Nepali Congress had conducted its 13th general convention in March 2016.

As per the party charter, the Congress must have held its general convention by March 2020, but it could not do so due to political and technical reasons including the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then the party’s central committee meeting extended the terms of all elected bodies by a year. But the party could not hold the convention by March 2021.

As per the constitutional provisions, the terms and mandates of the all elected bodies were extended for six months, which means the party cannot not exceed the September deadline.

The party had earlier announced the convention for September 1-4 in Kathmandu. But due to the pandemic, the row over active membership, and factional feud made it impossible for the party to meet the deadline.

The party then postponed its convention to November, but to avoid the risk of being invalidated, it said it would start local level conventions starting September 3.

Besides Deuba, party’s vice president Bimalendra Nidhi too is eying the party presidency. Nidhi on Friday inaugurated his contact office for the elections.

Deuba and Nidhi are long-time friends and both have been supportive of each other in the past.

Senior leader Poudel, party general secretary Shashank Koirala and leaders Dr Shekhar Koirala, Prakash Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Situala —all of them Deuba’s adversaries—too are other possible candidates for party president.

“I will definitely contest, probably Nidhiji will not back down from his candidacy,” said Dr Shekhar Koirala. “We are trying to find a common candidate within our camp.”

Insiders say some leaders are trying to strike a deal between three Koiralas—Shashank, Shekhar and Sujata, so as to field a consensus candidate against Deuba.

“If that happens, Poudel and other leaders who are eyeing the post must back out,” a leader from the Poudel camp said. “If Deuba fails to convince Nidhi and Sitaula to withdraw their candidacies, then there will be four candidates.”

A section of leaders close to Deuba is already exercising to dissuade Nidhi from contesting.

“Nidhi, despite his best efforts, cannot win the elections without Deuba’s support,” Min Bishawkarma, a leader close to Deuba said, adding, “We are seeking a compromise.”

Many within the party say, for Deuba, running the party would be difficult due to age factor. However, Deuba, who is currently the prime minister for the fifth time, does not seem to be in a mood to back down.

“If Deuba contests for party president and Nidhi for vice-president, then the duo can easily win,” said Bishwakarma. “Deuba then can offer Nidhi the post of acting party president and assume a ceremonial role. But Sitaula too is looking for a similar arrangement.”