Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Thapa has fired a salvo against his boss, President Sher Bahadur Deuba, as the party failed to ensure its general convention on the stipulated date.

Deuba handed over his responsibilities to acting party chief Purna Bahadur Khadka before leaving for Singapore in October-end for treatment. Thapa has accused Deuba of engaging in “power politics” inside the party by seemingly distancing himself from it.

Amid calls for restructuring the party and changing its leadership in light of the September Gen Z movement, the country’s oldest political party is deliberating over its general convention, having decided to hold it in Kathmandu on January 10–12.

But Thapa, who is looking to transform the party and eying the party leadership’s post, now accuses Deuba of creating obstacles to holding the convention on the scheduled date.

Thapa, after the party's central work execution committee meeting on Wednesday, voiced his displeasure that although Deuba has appointed an acting president and has not been attending meetings, he still retains—and exercises—executive power.

On October 14, Deuba assigned Vice President Khadka the responsibility of acting president. Despite this deputation, Deuba remains active in political meetings and the party's internal activities.

Deuba started attending meetings with leaders from other parties, diplomats and others soon after he returned from Singapore after recuperating in mid-November. He was injured in a mob attack on September 9.

After Deuba’s intervention, the party decided to hold its 15th general convention in the second week of January but Congress leaders have started claiming that it is impossible to complete the preparations owing to time constraints and a tight schedule.

Thapa, another General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma and senior party leader Shekhar Koirala are in favour of holding the general convention ahead of the March 5 parliamentary elections.

Thapa on Wednesday reiterated the same position and suggested suspending some procedures of the lower level conventions to meet the January deadline. The Deuba faction stands for holding the convention only after the March elections.

Thapa even warned that if the 15th convention is not going to be held on January 10, the proposal of holding a special convention would revive automatically. As many as 54 percent elected representatives to the general convention, submitting their signatures to the party headquarters, have demanded a special convention if the party fails to hold the regular convention on time.

The party has an acting president, but the post is nominal, Thapa told journalists after the Congress meeting on Wednesday.

“The president has not been attending meetings, yet all other powers are still being exercised from there [Deuba’s residence].”

During the Gen Z uprising, Deuba and his wife Arzu Rana Deuba were attacked by an angry mob and their residence in Budhanilkantha was set ablaze. After receiving treatment in Singapore, Deuba and his wife have been back in active politics. Now living in a rented house in Maharajgunj, they have started political meetings from their new residence. Thapa finds this objectionable.

After being entrusted with the responsibility of acting president, Khadka held multiple meetings with different camps and groups of the party but failed to settle the issues concerning the party convention. Some of Deuba’s supporters wanted to make Khadka unsuccessful, who is also a trusted aide of the party chief. On Tuesday, Deuba attended a meeting at the President's Office. Besides, he has repeatedly met with UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal. These meetings have reignited Deuba’s political ambitions and he has started asserting his power, a Congress leader said.

Deuba mostly listens to his loyalists who want to defer the party convention till after the March 5 election, a leader from the Thapa-Koirala camp said. After the Deuba camp’s non-cooperation for holding the convention on January 10, Thapa has become infuriated, the leader added. Koirala has already hinted at a slight deferral of the convention.

Thapa has also urged Deuba to act in the best interests of the party and to create an environment for holding the general convention on time. Deuba, as suggested by his supporters, wants to distribute election tickets to his loyalists.

When Deuba appointed an acting president, leaders and cadres across the country hoped he would take on a guardian’s role in the party, Thapa said. “But that did not happen.”

Thapa appealed to President Deuba: “Please have concern for the party’s best interests.”

The distribution of active membership is the key factor delaying conventions of the party’s lower committees. As per the party charter, it has to conduct seven layers of convention from the ward to the central level. After delay in distribution and confirmation of active membership, all lower level conventions have been affected.

Thapa himself heads the committee coordinating the distribution of active membership. According to Thapa, out of the 77 districts, only 53 have completed the distribution of active membership and have submitted the list to the party headquarters. After the delay in completing the distribution of active membership, Thapa has proposed suspending some lower level conventions in order to meet the January 10 deadline. Thapa’s proposal is under consideration and will be discussed again on Thursday.

“None of the necessary works for the general convention has been accomplished. Not even the statute amendment drafting committee has been formed,” Thapa told journalists.

“We cannot go to parliamentary elections without changing the party leadership. Now our general convention is no longer just our own matter; it has become an issue of concern for the general public as well. Therefore, the party leadership can be changed by holding conventions at three levels.”