The election process to select new leadership at the Nepali Congress special general convention formally moved ahead on Tuesday at Bhrikutimandap.

According to the election schedule released by the Central Election Committee, procedures from the publication of the voters’ list to candidate registration have begun. The committee meeting approved and made public the timetable.

The preliminary voters’ list was published at 12:30pm. Complaints against the voters are being received and reviewed between 12:30pm and 1:30pm, followed by the publication of the final voters’ list at 2pm. Nomination papers are to be filed from 2pm to 3pm.

As per the schedule, the first list of candidates, arranged in Nepali alphabetical order in Devanagari script, will be published at first. After complaints against candidacies and their review, candidates will be allowed to withdraw nominations before the final list is published.

The election committee said scrutiny of the complaint will continue until 7pm, with the final list of candidates to be published at 8:45pm. Voting is scheduled to begin at 9pm. Vote counting will start immediately after polling, and results will be announced upon completion.

Earlier on Tuesday, the convention dissolved the previous election committee and formed a new five-member panel under advocate Sitaram KC during a closed session at Bhrikutimandap. Supporters of the special convention have continued negotiations with establishment leaders at a residence in Lazimpat.

Party president Sher Bahadur Deuba and his camp, who oppose the convention, are seeking a compromise ahead of the March elections to avoid a split. Talks between four-member teams from both sides have focused on leadership positions, ownership of policy documents, and ticket distribution. Convention supporters claim the backing of a majority of delegates, leaving Deuba’s camp in the minority. Leaders have warned that failure to reach a deal by Tuesday’s central working committee meeting could trigger a formal division.