On Tuesday, the Nepali Congress is holding its first Central Working Committee meeting after the general elections held in November 2022. According to leaders, the meeting will discuss policy conventions and assess the polls besides other contemporary political developments. The meeting will be crucial with party president Sher Bahadur Deuba expected to face many questions and a hail of criticism from the central working committee members, say party insiders.

Whether to suspend leaders implicated in corruption cases is likely to emerge as a major bone of contention in the meeting.

Ahead of the meeting called by Deuba at his residence in Dhumbarahi on Monday, say party insiders, the party chief expressed his intention not to suspend any leaders including former home minister Bal Krishna Khand, one of the trusted lieutenants of Deuba, in connection with the fake Bhutanese refugee scam. The party chief is of the view that the party should refrain from doing so as it has previously not suspended any of the leaders who were accused of being involved in different corruption cases and crimes.

Earlier, senior Congress leaders including Khum Bahadur Khadka and Bijay Gachchhadar were implicated in corruption charges, but the party didn’t take any action against them.

“The party’s major leaders have their own explanations against taking action against fellow leaders who are facing different charges,” said Jivan Pariyar, the party’s joint general secretary. “The issue will definitely surface during the meeting and the central committee will decide on it.”

Former Home Minister Khand is currently in judicial custody testifying on his alleged involvement in the fake Bhutanese refugee scam.

Before the informal meeting of incumbent and former office bearers called by the party president, general secretary Gagan Thapa met senior leader Shekhar Koirala at a function during which, some leaders claimed, they discussed common strategies to take on the Deuba faction.

“The leaders have agreed to devise strategies after seeing how the Deuba faction presents itself in the meeting,” said a central member close to Thapa.

The party’s two general secretaries, Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, have publicly said that they are in favour of suspending those implicated in corruption charges, such as Khand. Koirala has the same view.

In a recent interview with the Post’s sister publication Kantipur, Koirala said if the country’s major issues such as the fake Bhutanese refugee scam and Lalita Niwas land grab aren’t discussed in party committees, the party will soon lose its relevance.

General secretary duo Thapa and Sharma are also lobbying to change the Congress parliamentary party leader in the changed political context that has seen the rise of newer forces owing to people’s extreme frustration with older parties. At present, Deuba is the parliamentary party leader of the grand old party.

Leaders said the central committee members could raise the issue of ‘discriminatory’ disciplinary actions taken against party leaders and cadres.

“I think the leaders will raise the issue of party establishment protecting those close to the party president from disciplinary action, even as they flouted the party statute,” said Ajay Babu Shiwakoti, a central committee member. “The party president will also be criticised for failing to hold party meetings timely.”

The major agenda of the central working committee meeting that is scheduled to begin on Tuesday is fixing the date of the policy convention which the party has to organise within a year of the national convention.

However, a year after the national convention, the party is only now discussing its agenda and schedule.

The 10 agendas for the central working committee include discussions on contemporary political developments, organisational work plan and endorsing the decisions made since the previous central committee meeting.

Ananda Dhungana, who leads the party’s Disciplinary Committee, will present his report. Party’s Chief Whip Ramesh Lekhak will brief the central committee about the parliamentary activities of the party. Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka will talk about the role played by Congress ministers in the government.

During the meeting, General Secretary Thapa will present a proposal for a nationwide campaign to rejuvenate the party along with an annual calendar.

According to insiders, the upcoming policy convention is expected to be crucial for the party leadership as leaders representing the younger generation are preparing to come up with a proposal for a change in leadership, at least in the parliamentary party.

During the meeting of office bearers on Monday, Deuba proposed broadcasting the central working committee meeting live via Facebook. The leaders discussed both the pros and cons of the live streaming.

According to leader Shashank Koirala, some said live telecast could prevent some leaders from speaking their mind but many others were in its favour.

“Most probably, the meeting on Tuesday will be streamed live on Facebook,” Koirala told reporters after the meeting. “The date for the policy convention has not been fixed. We are discussing holding it after the rainy season.”