Nepali Congress general secretary Gagan Thapa has claimed that his faction commands a clear majority and asserted legitimacy despite disciplinary action taken against him by the establishment faction.

Addressing the closed session of the special general convention at Bhrikutimandap on Wednesday, Thapa said his group was “comfortably in the majority” and therefore represented the official party line. His remarks came shortly after the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led establishment decided to suspend Thapa, general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma and joint–general secretary Farmullah Mansur from party membership for five years.

Thapa said he had repeatedly raised the need for reform within the central working committee but was ignored. He stressed that the special general convention was not called to make him party president. “This convention is not about me becoming president. It is about building a new Congress and going to elections with renewed leadership,” he said, adding that he had even proposed selecting alternative leaders, including Purna Bahadur Khadka or Shekhar Koirala.

Following the disciplinary decision, the establishment faction convened a central working committee meeting in Sanepa and began consultations with senior legal experts on the validity of the disciplinary action and the legality of the special general convention.

Meanwhile, the special convention has moved ahead with the process to elect new office-bearers, including Thapa for president and Sharma and Pradeep Paudel for general secretary, pushing the party formally towards a split. Leaders backing the convention are preparing to approach the Election Commission with documentation claiming majority support, while the Deuba faction is seeking legal backing for the party name and election symbol.

With both sides in an escalatory mood, the long-running dispute within the Nepali Congress now appears set to be decided by legal and constitutional bodies.