Following a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed his leadership, Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Thapa has begun formal dialogues with the rival faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba. On Sunday, Thapa met with former Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka to discuss party reconciliation. The meeting occurred after the Khadka group spent the weekend finalizing their internal strategy, demanding guarantees for a fair and independent 15th General Convention as a condition for unity.
The primary hurdle remains the conflicting schedules for the party’s next convention. While the Khadka group had proposed a date in late April, Thapa’s committee has scheduled it for October. Leaders from the disgruntled faction, including Min Bishwakarma, warned that failing to merge these timelines could lead to a party split. However, other senior voices like Shyam Ghimire have urged for cooperation, suggesting that veteran leaders over 60 should consider retiring if they cannot work toward a unified party.
Shift in power dynamics
With the court's verdict in his favor, President Thapa is reportedly moving away from a "give-and-take" policy regarding factional quotas. Having secured legal legitimacy, his team is less inclined to offer power-sharing deals based on group identity. General Secretary Pradip Paudel clarified that while the leadership intends to include senior figures from the Special Convention in the Central Committee, they will do so within the party's legal framework rather than through factional bargaining.
Despite the Khadka group’s claim that their "political struggle" continues despite the legal loss, the establishment side holds a significantly stronger hand. Thapa’s strategy focuses on maintaining party discipline and integrating leaders based on merit and the party constitution. As formal talks continue, the focus shifts to whether Thapa can successfully bridge the gap between the two factions without compromising his mandate for reform.
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