KATHMANDU, March 22: Leaders of the Nepali Congress (NC) have unanimously opposed the resignation of party president Gagan Thapa during the ongoing Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
On the second day of discussions, NC Spokesperson Devraj Chalise said that around two dozen members who spoke in the meeting rejected Thapa’s proposal to step down, arguing that he should continue leading the party in the current situation and focus on rebuilding it with a new approach.
Most NC CWC members oppose Gagan Thapa’s resignation
The meeting also held in-depth discussions on the party’s electoral defeat and internal challenges. Leaders described the outcome as a “crisis of ideological trust,” noting that despite having around 850,000 active members, the party secured only about 1.79 million votes. Compared to the 13th general convention, where membership was lower but electoral performance stronger, the decline in votes was seen as a sign of weakening connection between the party and voters.
An analysis of constituencies showed that in around 20–21 seats lost by margins of less than 3,000 votes, internal party issues played a decisive role. In constituencies with margins between 3,000 and 5,000 votes, weaknesses in campaign strategy were identified, while in seats lost by more than 5,000 votes, leaders acknowledged the party failed to build a strong electoral base.
Leaders concluded that voters had cast reactionary votes driven more by dissatisfaction with the current situation than by systemic issues. The party now plans to undertake a data-driven course correction and bring its sister organizations within stricter disciplinary boundaries.
