KATHMANDU, Jan 16: After the Election Commission (EC) granted legitimacy to the Nepali Congress faction led by newly-elected President Gagan Thapa, the erstwhile President Sher Bahadur Deuba-led camp expressed strong resentment.
Acting President of the Deuba-led faction, Purna Bahadur Khadka, stated that the EC’s decision was contrary to tradition and therefore invalid.
No Alternative to Deuba as NC PP leader : Purna Bahadur Khadka
“This decision goes against the EC’s established practices, precedents it made, party statute, and the Political Parties Act,” Khadka said. “For this reason, the decision is invalid, and we will fight against it through all political and legal means.”
He also accused the EC of making the decision under external pressure. He reiterated that the decision contradicts even earlier rulings regarding party splits. Speaking to the media outside the EC office after the announcement, Khadka reiterated, “We will now fight against the decision in both legal and political ways.”
When journalists asked whether the faction would participate in the upcoming March 5 polls, he declined to answer. The Deuba camp had earlier issued warnings that if the EC’s decision did not favor them, they would organize nationwide protests.
