Supreme Court to Decide on Nepali Congress Leadership Dispute

Kathmandu, January 17 – The ongoing leadership dispute within Nepali Congress is set to be resolved by Nepal’s Supreme Court. The faction led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has decided to challenge the Election Commission’s recent decision in the highest court.

This development comes a day after the Election Commission recognised the leadership elected at the Special General Convention (SGC) held under Gagan Thapa’s leadership as the legitimate leadership of Nepali Congress.

Both factions had approached the Election Commission claiming to be the true representatives of Nepali Congress. On Friday, the Commission approved the Central Working Committee elected at the SGC held between January 11 and 14. Notably, this convention was conducted without the approval of the Deuba faction.

Following the rejection of the Deuba faction’s claim, they resolved on Saturday to file a petition with the Supreme Court, possibly as early as Sunday.

A press release from the Deuba group stated that Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka was authorised to file the case against the Election Commission’s Friday decision and undertake other legal actions. The faction contended that the Commission’s decision violated the Constitution of Nepal, existing laws, and Nepali Congress’s rules.

The Deuba faction alleged that the Election Commission made a unilateral decision without considering the evidence they had submitted.

Meanwhile, the Gagan Thapa-led faction held a meeting on Saturday and resolved to promote unity within the party ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5.

Party spokesperson Devaraj Chalise informed the media that the newly elected Central Working Committee emphasised maintaining cohesion among leaders and workers in view of the upcoming elections.

This faction also decided to request Deuba, who currently leads the opposing faction, to take on a guardian-like role within the party led by Thapa.

The Election Commission’s recognition of the Thapa faction has created a crucial time constraint for Deuba’s group, as the nomination deadline for candidates under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system is January 20.

If the Supreme Court does not stay the Election Commission’s decision, the Thapa-led Nepali Congress will be the only group allowed to file nominations under the FPTP system, which could disadvantage the Deuba faction.

However, the closed list of candidates under the proportional representation system has already been submitted to the Election Commission.

Nepal’s House of Representatives comprises 275 members, with 165 elected through the FPTP system and 110 through proportional representation.