Two days after the Nepali Congress formally split, the Election Commission recognised the committee elected through the special general convention as the official party.

A meeting of the commission, led by acting chief election commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, decided to validate the claim of the newly elected Gagan Thapa-led committee. According to a senior official at the commission, the decision was taken by a majority, after one commissioner opposed giving legitimacy to the team elected through the special convention.

The commission relied on three key grounds to update the party’s details.

First, the Nepali Congress statute allows 40 percent of general convention delegates to demand a special general convention, and the commission found that such a convention had been held as mandated.

The commission concluded that it was legitimate for the general secretary duo Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma to call the special convention when the central working committee was reluctant to follow the mandatory provision in the party statute.

Second, the statute clearly establishes general convention delegates as the supreme authority of the party, making their decisions binding.

Third, the commission noted that there was no recorded dissent over the demand for a special general convention, confirming that it was convened in line with the statute.

The commission, according to the acting chief election commission, will allow the Deuba faction to register a new party if it does not wish to come under the newly elected leadership.

The commission’s decision is expected to further polarise national politics in general and the Congress in particular.

If the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction protests the decision and seeks legal remedies, it could even disrupt the March elections.

The faction has called a meeting of the central working committee on Saturday morning at party headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitpur.

Meanwhile, Thapa issued a statement on Friday evening, welcoming the Election Commission’s decision. He also urged all Congress leaders and cadres to stay united and stated that he would take responsibility to strengthen the party.

“The special general convention was not a matter of controversy. The Election Commission has made its decision in accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, and the party’s statute. We are grateful for this,” he said in a statement soon after the commission delivered its decision.

Thapa also expressed respect for Deuba and sought support and cooperation from all sections of the party.

On the other hand, the Deuba faction has shown its dismay over the commission’s ruling and had earlier on Friday announced that it would stage protests across the country if the Thapa-led faction got legitimacy.

The faction led by Deuba has termed the commission’s decision part of “a conspiracy and setting between national and international elements” and vowed to seek legal remedies.

Purna Bahadur Khadka, a Deuba confidant who was named acting party president in October, termed the commission’s ruling a pre-planned decision, and vowed to challenge it on all fronts—constitutional, legal, and political.

He alleged that the decision was made in a conspiratorial manner, in violation of the party’s statute.

He further claimed that the commission made the decision in violation of its own decision-making process, without even calling the establishment faction for a hearing.

On the other hand, Congress Vice-president Bishwa Prakash Sharma said that the party would now focus on the elections by declaring Thapa as prime ministerial candidate.

Issuing a video message on Friday evening after the commission delivered its verdict in their favour, Sharma said that the Congress will now abandon its old style and go to the people by announcing its prime ministerial candidate before the election.

“The sentiment in the party and among the general public is to see Gagan Thapa in leadership,” Sharma said. “In line with the documents passed by the general convention and wishes of ordinary party workers, we will go into the election by presenting Gagan Thapa as our prime ministerial candidate. This will give the country a clear political roadmap.”

He termed the Thapa-led Congress as the “new Congress” and called the commission’s decision a victory of law, system and spirit of the hundreds of thousands of Nepali Congress supporters. Sharma also declared that the party would not partner with others in the elections. “People are fed up with electoral alliances,” he said in his message.

Earlier in the afternoon, leaders and cadres of two Congress factions faced off in front of the Election Commission. The situation was tense until the evening, with the two factions accusing each other of being illegitimate. Following the standoff, police were deployed in large numbers around the Election Commission premises, and the main gate was closed to prevent scuffles.

On Friday, two back-to-back delegations from the Nepali Congress met Acting Chief Commissioner Bhandari to present their respective claims over the party. Both factions pressed the commission to resolve the dispute quickly.

On Friday morning, the EC officials received a large delegation from the Deuba faction led by Khadka. The delegation also submitted the documents to the EC, challenging the validity of the special convention and the central committee formed after the convention on Thursday. Later the Deuba faction held a press conference at party headquarters and threatened nationwide protests if the commission recognised the Thapa faction.