A petition signed by 53 percent of the Nepali Congress general convention representatives was submitted at the party headquarters on Wednesday, seeking a special general convention and election of a new leadership.

Nepali Congress leader Gururaj Ghimire submitted the signatures to the acting party president, Purna Bahadur Khadka, at the party headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitpur.

Party chief Sher Bahadur Deuba assigned the role of acting president to Khadka during a central working committee meeting on Tuesday. Khadka must now present the petition to the central working committee and take a decision on holding the general convention. The central working committee meeting will resume on Thursday.

While submitting the demand, Ghimire said that 53 percent of the general convention representatives have signed the petition.

As per the Nepali Congress statute, if 40 percent of the general convention representatives demand a special convention with stated reasons, such a convention must be called within three months.

Deuba, who was attacked and injured and his residence vandalised and set on fire during the Gen Z movement on September 9, appeared at the party’s central working committee meeting on Tuesday. Deuba announced that he will not contest the top party post in the upcoming general convention and handed over the role of acting party president to Khadka.

At the party’s 14th general convention in 2021, there were 4,743 convention representatives.

After deducting those who automatically became representatives from the 13th General Convention to the 14th as central members, as well as those who have left the party or passed away, the current number stands at 4,556 representatives. Out of these, 2,488 have signed in favour of holding a special general convention.

Ghimire clarified that this step falls within the jurisdiction of the general convention representatives and the central working committee. He said, “We have decided to submit this request to the acting president today, representing the sentiments of our fellow members who have remained as the very soul, backbone, and main current of the party.”

Deuba was under pressure to step down from the party’s leadership role following the Gen Z movement, in which young protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the ruling parties and called for changes in leadership.

The party’s two general secretaries, Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, along with senior leader Shekhar Koirala and others, had piled pressure on Deuba to quit and pave the way for holding the 15th general convention by the end of December.

After receiving the file containing the signatures, Acting President Khadka did not address the crowd gathered at party headquarters.

Ghimire reiterated that the petition by a majority of the party’s representatives aims to give the party renewed momentum and direction in the current challenging situation.

“This is not against the party charter, discipline, or norms,” Ghimire said, adding that this practice was followed by senior Congress leader the late Subarna Sumsher Rana and others.

He also said that demanding a special general convention under special circumstances is a right of general convention representatives.

Following developments after the Gez Z movement, Congress leaders launched the signature campaign for a special general convention, arguing that the situation calls for a fundamental change in the party’s leadership.

Despite calls for a special convention, the party is also preparing to hold the 15th general convention on schedule. The 14th general convention was held in December 2021 in Kathmandu, so the term and mandate of all elected representatives from central committee to ward level is set to expire in mid-December.

As per the party charter, the term can be extended by a year in special cases and by another six months if the general convention cannot be held on schedule.