After the organisers of the second special general convention of Nepali Congress on Wednesday set the stage for the election of new office bearers including a new party president, a last-ditch effort is underway to prevent a party split.

With the majority of elected representatives calling for the party’s transformation, including a leadership change, two general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma had taken the lead in organising the special general convention, which kicked off in Kathmandu on Sunday. They have initiated the process for leadership change and proposed sweeping policy reforms.

Although the special convention mandates leadership and policy changes, the party establishment faction of Sher Bahadur Deuba has been resisting. Throughout Tuesday, the two sides—the Deuba faction and the Thapa-Sharma camp—were engaged in talks, exploring multiple alternatives to keep the grand old party intact.

However, if Deuba is unwilling to step down or not ready to constitute a high-command as proposed by the Thapa-Sharma camp, the special convention is preparing to elect new leadership.

Members of the talks team said they have narrowed down differences, but the most critical demand, Deuba’s resignation, remains unresolved. “It is Deuba’s personal decision,” a Deuba confidant told the Post. “But, as proposed by Thapa-Sharma camp, we can narrow the differences by forming a party high-command to run the party till the 15th general convention.”

“We have opted for maximum flexibility,” said party spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat.

The special convention has, meanwhile, formed an election committee on Tuesday to pick a new leadership.

The convention underway at the Capital’s Bhrikutimandap endorsed the reports presented by Thapa and Sharma on Tuesday, while their talks team simultaneously continued negotiations with the Deuba faction.

Leaders representing the Deuba faction, and the Thapa-Sharma faction as well as those representing senior leader Shekhar Koirala held multiple meetings on Tuesday.

In the talks, the Thapa-Sharma faction demanded Deuba’s resignation as the party chief, but he refused.

Basically, for three months or till May, we have proposed that the party president should remain “passive”. He should have no role in any party related activities including ticket distribution, Pradip Poudel, a member of the talks team from Thapa-Sharma camp, told the Post.

Earlier, the party had proposed holding its 15th general convention from May 11 to 14. Before that, the general elections fall on March 5. “So in the meantime, we want an interim arrangement where Deuba would not have any role in the decision-making process,” said Poudel.

The proposal tabled by the Thapa-Sharma camp was communicated to Ramesh Lekhak and Bal Krishna Khand, members of the talks team from the Deuba faction. Both Khand and Lekhak then went to Deuba's residence for talks.

“We are waiting for their response,” said Poudel.

“If Deuba refuses to quit, we have also offered to form a ‘high-command’ to run the party until the 15th general convention,” said Gururaj Ghimire, another member of the Thapa-Sharma talks team. Until the 15th convention, Deuba will remain ceremonial president of the party, as per the proposal.

Earlier, the Thapa-Sharma faction had proposed that Deuba resign, and the special convention would hold elections only for party president,and forming an interim central committee till May.

But the Deuba faction rejected the proposal. Then in the second round of talks, the Thapa-Sharma camp had proposed creating a high-command until May as an interim arrangement. The same high-command would distribute tickets in the March elections, form a parliamentary board through consensus, and prevent Deuba from contesting the next elections.

Deuba, however, rejected the proposal, stating that he would not contest the party presidency again and would automatically retire after the 15th general convention in the second week of May.

Acting party president Purna Bahadur Khadka, Thapa, Sharma, and Koirala, among others, would be in the high-command, according to the proposal.

Leaders privy to negotiations said Deuba is ready to recognise the special convention and implement its decisions, but is unwilling to step down from the top post.

Some Deuba aides on Tuesday reportedly asked the party chief to take disciplinary action against the two general secretaries. “Why should we decide [on such action] if some agreement can be reached by this evening?” Deuba responded, according to a leader.

Amid rising tensions, Ghimire warned that a party split could become inevitable.

“If the special general convention removes the current Deuba-led central working committee, the party will officially split, and both sides should be mindful of this prospect,” said Ghimire.

A split would trigger political and legal battles just ahead of March 5 parliamentary elections. The process of candidate nomination for the general election scheduled for the third week of January, will also become complicated.

Two leaders involved in the negotiations told the Post that the Congress is facing another unprecedented crisis, and they were working to narrow the widening rift among the top leaders.

During the closing session of the special general convention on Tuesday, Sharma announced that the Congress will project Thapa as the next prime minister during the March elections.

Once the special convention elects a new central committee, the Thapa-Sharma faction will seek official recognition from the Election Commission and this could spark a legal tussle in the party ahead of the parliamentary elections.

A meeting of the central working committee called for Tuesday morning could not happen after talks between two sides prolonged for almost four hours.

“Our demands are clear,” said Subas Pokharel of the Thapa-Sharma camp. “Deuba should not contest the coming election and must be ready to relinquish party leadership.

“He has to take a rest now. We want to change the policy of the party as well as its leadership,” said Pokharel.