The central working committee of the Nepali Congress has decided to suspend General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma from the party for five years, accusing them of calling the special general convention without the consent of the establishment faction.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the establishment-aligned central working committee held in Sanepa on Wednesday. The meeting also decided to suspend joint–general secretary Farmullah Mansur for the same period. Leader Min Bahadur Bishwakarma informed the media of the decision later in the afternoon.

The disciplinary action comes at a moment when party leaders from both sides claim they are desperately trying to prevent the party from splitting. The action is likely to further aggravate the situation leading the party to a formal split.

Earlier, the election committee of the special central general convention published a revised election timetable, setting voting for the leadership from 8 pm to 1 am.

According to Sitaram KC, coordinator of the party’s central election committee, the preliminary list of candidates will be published at 4 pm, with claims and objections accepted until 4:30 pm. The final list is scheduled for release at 6 pm.

Despite last-ditch efforts to reach a consensus and avert a party split, talks were inconclusive.

Earlier on Wednesday, several central committee members had urged Thapa to show maximum flexibility to preserve party unity. However, with the central committee opting for disciplinary action, leaders say the Congress has entered a decisive phase, with the special general convention advancing towards the election process amid an escalating internal crisis.