KATHMANDU, July 23: Internal divisions within the Nepali Congress (NC) have deepened into an open power struggle, with rival faction trading accusations and moving closer to a formal split.
The rift, which has been widening since the Gen-Z protests on September 8 and 9, intensified after the Election Commission and the Supreme Court upheld the legitimacy of the party's special general convention held in January. Instead of narrowing their differences, the rival camp has become increasingly entrenched.
The divide became more apparent on Wednesday, the 44th memorial day of the party's founding leader, BP Koirala, when the establishment and dissident factions held separate programmes. The dissident camp also announced plans to convene a national gathering on Aug. 14 if no agreement is reached, signalling that the dispute has entered a decisive phase.
The establishment faction has rejected the dissidents' demands to suspend the party's membership renewal process and restructure the Central Working Committee formed after the 14th General Convention, arguing that the party faces several other pressing issues. The dissident faction, however, has made the restructuring of the Central Working Committee its key condition for reconciliation.
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With both sides refusing to compromise, many leaders believe the possibility of a formal split can no longer be ruled out. Leaders and veteran party members who gathered at Nepal Academy in Kathmandu on Wednesday appeared increasingly aligned with the dissident camp.
Senior leaders, including Dr. Shekhar Koirala, Shashanka Koirala, Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Sharan Mahat and Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, attended the programme alongside younger leaders such as Kundan Kafle and Jit Jung Basnet.
Earlier in the day, the establishment faction organised the Green Run programme, attended mainly by younger leaders, including President Gagan Kumar Thapa, Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and General Secretaries Gururaj Ghimire and Pradip Paudel, while relatively few senior leaders participated.
Despite holding separate programmes, leaders from both factions maintained that they remained committed to preserving party unity.
Former Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka said the two factions could not reunite unless President Thapa took the initiative. Describing the current situation as unprecedented in the party's history, he said, "We are prepared to sacrifice everything rather than compromise our principles."
Rejecting claims that the dissidents' efforts to reunify the party were merely a bargaining tactic, Khadka said, "We are ready to accept the special general convention. Asking that the 14th Central Working Committee be completed under Gagan Ji's leadership and that the party remain united cannot be described as bargaining."
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Shekhar Koirala accused the party leadership of adopting an "authoritarian style" of functioning. Citing the removal of ward-level office bearers without clear justification, he said, "Such actions are unacceptable. The Nepali Congress was founded to fight authoritarianism, not to practise it."
Leader Bimalendra Nidhi warned that the dissident faction would be compelled to pursue a new political course if its calls for unity continued to be ignored. Criticising the leadership for lacking political foresight and maturity, he said, "The commitment to democratic socialism has weakened. Replacing democratic socialism with social democracy is not a matter of pride; it is a step backward."
Krishna Prasad Sitaula said the planned national gathering would determine the party's future direction and urged President Thapa to show the courage and tolerance needed to reunite the party.
Dr. Shashanka Koirala said that if the party ultimately split, President Gagan Kumar Thapa would have to accept both the political and moral responsibility. He warned that growing mistrust, factional rivalry and internal conflict were steadily weakening the party.
Meanwhile, addressing the Green Run programme, President Thapa called for the conservation of forests, land and other natural resources. Referring to the principles of sustainable development, he said BP Koirala had embraced the idea of inclusiveness in practice nearly seven decades ago and pledged that the party remained fully committed to those ideals.
