Rival factions of Nepali Congress remain at odds over whether to hold a general or a special convention of the party by mid-December, the cutoff date for a regular general convention. The convention is the party’s top policy-making body as well as the platform to pick its top leaders.

The terms and mandates of all elected party bodies are set to expire in mid-December, but the party leaders are discussing holding a special convention if a regular one is not possible by then.

The recent Gen Z movement has added pressure on the Congress leadership to bring in new faces and revitalise the party. In this context, party president Sher Bahadur Deuba last week handed over key responsibilities to party vice president Purna Bahadur Khadka and elevated him to the post of acting president.

Two rival factions, one led by Deuba–Khadka, and another by general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma as well as and party senior leader Shekhar Koirala, remain at odds over whether to hold a special general convention or a regular convention, and on its timing, even after weeks of discussion.

Only on Friday, the Thapa camp released a document stating that Thapa has proposed holding the party’s 15th general convention on December 13-15. He presented the proposal at the central work execution committee on Friday, amid discussion on replacing the party’s leadership following the Gen Z uprising.

However, party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat rejected the Thapa faction’s claim. “No such proposal has been tabled in the party’s central working committee or work execution committee,” Mahat told the Post on Monday morning.

Following last month’s Gen Z movement, which opposed entrenched corruption and voiced strong anti-incumbency feelings, all major political parties are under pressure to replace their old guards. Two major political parties, the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre), plan to hold their general conventions by mid-December. But the Congress, which began deliberating leadership change soon after the Gen Z movement, remains undecided.

Mahat, who belongs to the Deuba–Khadka faction, also stated that it is not possible to hold the convention by mid-December.

“It is impossible to hold the convention in another month and a half. The two general secretaries were in charge of everything—from distributing the active membership to proposing and holding the general convention from ward level to centre. What stopped them from creating an environment to hold the general convention on time?” said Mahat.

The establishment Deuba-Khadka faction wants to hold the convention only after the national elections scheduled for March 5, 2026. But Thapa, Sharma, Koirala and others insist the convention must be held no later than mid-December given the unusual circumstances in the country.

As many as 54 percent of the party’s elected general convention representatives have already submitted their signatures to Khadka, demanding a convention, if possible a regular convention, or otherwise a special convention.

Clause 17 (2) of the Nepali Congress statute states that a Special Central General Convention has to be called if the party’s central working committee deems it necessary or 40 percent of the total general convention representatives demand it in writing citing a special reason.

Expressing frustration over the delay in setting a date, the Thapa-Sharma-Koirala faction even held a press conference on Sunday and asked party leadership to decide promptly. The next central working committee meeting is scheduled only after 13 days, which could delay the decision on holding the regular convention by mid-December.

Speaking at a press conference in Kathmandu on Sunday, leader Gururaj Ghimire, who led the signature campaign, said he has already submitted an application to the central office demanding a special general convention in accordance with clause 17 (2) of the party statute. He stated that they have been closely watching the ongoing central committee meeting.

With the signatures of 54 percent of the general convention representatives, an application for a special general convention was already submitted to the party’s central office on October 14. The party statute mandates that if a demand for a special convention is made with the support of at least 40 percent of the representatives, it must be called within three months.

The statute also allows the central working committee to call a special convention. Since the deadline for the regular 15th convention is approaching, the Thapa-Sharma-Koirala faction has been insisting on holding the general convention on time or, if that is not possible, a special convention. But the Deuba-Khadka faction wants to postpone it until after the March general elections.

“The fact that the central committee meeting, which began on October 14, has been unnaturally prolonged and shows no sight of concluding indicates that the committee does not intend to hold the regular general convention within Mangsir [mid-December] and is instead inclined to extending its own term. This is an objectionable conduct,” Ghimire said at the press conference.

Gopalman Shrestha, a senior party leader close to the Deuba-Khadka faction, also advised holding the general convention only after March 5.

“If the party cannot convene the regular convention within 83 days, our call for organising the special convention will be automatically activated,” said Ghimire.

He added that if the central working committee meeting does not decide in favor of a regular or special general convention, the signatories themselves will call an assembly of general convention representatives.

“The central working committee has not taken the demand for a special general convention seriously. If a regular convention is not held, a special convention becomes inevitable. If the central working committee does not call it, we will be compelled to do so ourselves.”