The second special general convention of the Nepali Congress has moved formally towards electing new leadership after protracted unity talks failed to reach a deal, with General Secretary Gagan Thapa filing his nomination for the party president’s post.

Thapa is the sole candidate for the post. His nomination was registered by his representative as the convention turned to the election process following days of inconclusive negotiations over the leadership dispute.

Pradeep Paudel and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have filed their nominations for general secretary. According to the Congress party statute, the party has two general secretaries.

Talks between the establishment faction and those backing the special convention had continued since Monday but failed to yield an agreement until Wednesday morning. Leaders say the deadlock persisted after party president Sher Bahadur Deuba refused to relinquish his executive role, prompting the convention to proceed towards electing a new leadership.

The party’s central working committee meeting, originally scheduled for 8am, was postponed twice. First shifted to 11am, the meeting was later deferred until 1pm as informal discussions aimed at party unity continued. Establishment-aligned leaders have begun arriving at Sanepa for the meeting.

Central committee member Nain Singh Mahar said efforts to keep the party united were on the verge of failure. He told the Post that talks held through Tuesday and Wednesday morning had produced no agreement. “This may be the last chance to save unity, but there is little hope. It is unfortunate,” he said.

Central committee member Paudel said the special general convention risked losing its relevance unless it delivered a clear message of leadership change. He said proposals to run the party through a high command involving the acting president, the two general secretaries and Shekhar Koirala—while confining Deuba to a ceremonial role—were rejected.

“Once the chair refused to step away from the executive role, there was no option left but to move towards electing new leadership,” Paudel said.

With no breakthrough on the leadership dispute, party leaders say the Nepali Congress is now formally heading towards a split, as the special general convention advances into the election phase.