The Nepali Congress leadership came under a scathing attack from party ranks at the ongoing Mahasamiti meeting of the party in Lalitpur on Wednesday.

The members, who are attending the four-day mega meet from across the country, expressed dissatisfaction with the party leadership’s handling of pressing issues including corruption control, service delivery, and growing frustration among the general public. They urged the leadership to take a proactive stance and play a leading role in implementing the constitution.

Leaders said they had received mixed reactions against party general secretary Gagan Thapa’s idea against electoral alliances.

A leader close to Thapa said the party establishment had issued organised instruction to its loyalists to speak against Thapa's proposal, adding, “That’s why the establishment faction gave maximum opportunity to its supporters to speak in favour of electoral alliances.”

But the paper presented by the other general secretary, Bishwa Prakash Sharma, was criticised by Mahasamiti members, mainly from the Koshi Province.

Sharma, in his political paper, stated that the ‘mutiny’ in Koshi Province by the party’s Kedar Karki was a wrong move.

Last October, Karki went against the ruling alliance's decision to contest the chief ministerial position and got elected with the backing of the main opposition, CPN-UML.

Sharma criticised Karki saying that his move could destabilise the existing ruling alliance at the centre.

During the group discussions, representatives from Koshi and Sudurpaschim provinces staged a protest inside the Mahasamiti hall, citing inadequate time allotted for discussing and deliberating on the reports presented by party vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka, general secretary duo Thapa and Sharma, and Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat.

On Wednesday, participants of the jamboree from across the country were divided into four groups and tasked with studying the four reports and providing feedback. They staged protests, saying they were not given enough time for discussion and deliberation.

Some Mahasamiti members criticised Sharma’s view on the recent political developments in the Koshi province. “If the Congress is in charge of the province, there is no need for concern,” Usha Gurung, a Congress leader from the province, said.

Some members from the Koshi province also raised the issue of identity and the ongoing opposition by a section of Janajatis groups and communities advocating for the province to be named based on the identity of indigenous communities of the region.

Dig Bahadur Limbu of Morang, Tejendra Khanal of Okhaldhunga, Gajendra Tumbhayak of Taplejung among others raised the issue of identity politics that has gripped local politics in Koshi province. Supporters of identity politics have been opposing the name ‘Koshi’ and demanded that it be given a new name based on identity.

The 16 district presidents of the party from Koshi Province submitted their 16-point proposal suggesting several changes to the party charter and the proposals presented by Vice-president Khadka, general secretary duo Thapa and Sharma.

The district presidents in their proposal have demanded that the country’s President, Vice President, prime minister, and chief ministers from the party should not be allowed to serve more than two terms, and recommended three terms in maximum for deputy prime ministers, ministers, ministers of state, provincial ministers and provincial ministers of state, and four terms in maximum for federal and provincial lawmakers.

On electoral alliances, the Koshi presidents have said that such a decision can be taken at the appropriate time based on necessity and suitability.

Leader Arjun Narsingh KC suggested that the government ban banknotes of Rs1000 and Rs500 denominations in order to control corruption.

“The general public feels that mafias, middlemen and people with a lot of black money are gaining control over the state and power,” said KC during the Mahasamiti meeting, adding, “There is a need to demonetise the denominations to prevent them from becoming a conduit for black money.”

He also urged the party’s leadership to take the initiative to amend the constitution. He stressed the need for reforming the electoral system, abolishing the proportional representation system, which he said often leads to formation of coalitions, and amend the constitution to reduce the number of federal and state parliamentarians.

Meanwhile, as a group of Congress leaders led by lawmaker Shankar Bhandari has been calling for restoration of the Hindu state and is currently collecting signatures of party leaders in favour of the proposal, some Mahasamiti members have voiced their reservations regarding the demand.

Over 150 Mahasamiti members have already put in their signatures supporting the demand for restoration of the Hindu state, according to the campaigners.

On Wednesday, a group of leaders led by Bhandari met party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and asked him to incorporate the agenda of Hindu state in the Mahasamiti meeting. “But Deuba rejected the idea,” a leader close to Bhandari, said.

“The current situation in the country does not allow the party to adopt the agenda of restoration of the Hindu state,” the leader quoted Deuba as telling the Bhandari-led delegation.

But Bhandari cautioned that there is a popular sentiment inside and outside the party in favour of restoring Nepal’s Hindu identity. He also emphasised that if the Congress ignores such an important demand, it will have a devastating effect on the party.

Senior Congress leader and former general secretary Shashanka Koirala, among others, have signed the petition, and more members will do so Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Hindu state campaigners in the party.

According to a press statement issued by the party, during the meeting, Mahasamiti members have said Congress should take the lead in effectively implementing the constitution, respect the party charter, delegate power to the provincial governments in order to strengthen them, and take measures to mitigate risks against the republic.

They also called for social movement for greater social justice and urged the party to participate in such movements. They also called for modernising the agriculture system, promoting tourism by preserving the ecology, infrastructure development, and pursuing a balanced foreign policy by giving top priority to national interest.

According to party leaders, representatives of the Mahasamiti meeting had expressed mixed views on electoral alliances with those close to the party establishment speaking in favour.

“The establishment faction arranged the event in such a way that only those who were in favour of such alliances were allowed to speak,” leader Suyarmaraj Rai said, adding, “Those opposed to the idea were not allowed to voice their opinions.”

At the end of the day, the Mahasamiti hall was empty, indicating that neither Thapa’s nor Sharma’s proposals would be endorsed in their existing forms.

Narayan Dutta Bhatta, party president of Kailali was non-committal regarding electoral alliances and any decisions should be made ahead of the elections based on the need. He views that the terms of the party’s elected bodies should be extended in line with the party charter if the general convention is not held by December 2025.

The party charter gives an additional one year as grace period if the party fails to convene the general convention after completing its four-year term. And the country’s constitution gives another six months, which means if the party fails to meet the December 2025 deadline, it can extend the term and mandate of all elected bodies until mid of 2027.

The 14th Mahasamiti meeting is expected to conclude on Thursday.