In a significant shift for Nepal’s oldest political party, the newly elected Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nepali Congress, led by President Gagan Thapa, is scheduled to hold its first official meeting at the central party headquarters in Sanepa this afternoon.
The meeting, scheduled for 1:00 pm, marks the first time the Thapa-led committee will enter the central office since being elected through the party's Special General Convention on January 14.
The move follows a period of intense legal and internal disputes regarding the party’s legitimacy. Previously, the faction led by outgoing President Sher Bahadur Deuba had maintained control over the headquarters. Despite the Election Commission granting official recognition to Thapa’s leadership on January 15, the Deuba faction continued to hold meetings at the Sanepa office as recently as January 16, where they decided to challenge the Election Commission’s decision in the Supreme Court.
However, the momentum took a shift on January 20 when the Supreme Court declined to issue an interim order against the new leadership’s legitimacy. Due to this ongoing tussle, Thapa had conducted his first two CWC meetings at external venues—Kupondole and New Baneshwar.
Today’s meeting is expected to go beyond the symbolic takeover of the office. According to party spokesperson Devraj Chalise, the committee is poised to formally nominate President Gagan Thapa as the party's candidate for Prime Minister ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5.
"We are putting forward President Gagan Thapa as the Prime Ministerial candidate to send a message of a 'New and Innovative Congress' across the country," Chalise told reporters on Friday morning.
He added that the strategy aims to provide voters with clarity on leadership before they head to the polls, aligning with the mandate of the Special General Convention and the rising "Gen Z" movement demanding better governance and development.
In a notable political maneuver, Gagan Thapa is also set to change his constituency. While he has historically contested from Kathmandu-4, he will be running from Sarlahi-4 in Madhesh Province in the upcoming elections.
While the Thapa faction prepares for its formal induction at BP Smriti Bhawan, tensions remain high. The Deuba group has yet to fully acknowledge the new CWC. Observers are closely watching whether today’s entry into the headquarters will lead to a peaceful transition or escalate the existing friction between the two factions.
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