Deuba Faction to Move Supreme Court Seeking Suspension of 15th General Convention Schedule

Dragon Media Correspondent

The faction of former Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba has decided to move the Supreme Court seeking suspension of the party’s 15th General Convention schedule.

A meeting of leaders from the Deuba faction held Thursday morning at the Maharajgunj residence of leader Shashank Koirala decided to seek a court order halting the convention process until a final ruling is issued in the review proceedings related to the dispute over the party’s official leadership.

According to leader NP Saud, the faction is preparing to register a writ petition at the Supreme Court by Friday, as there was not enough time to file it on Thursday.

The Deuba faction has maintained that the Gagan Thapa-led leadership should not proceed with the General Convention until the Supreme Court delivers its final decision in the review case.

Saud said the start of ward-level conventions could lead to parallel organisational structures and deepen divisions within the party, making it necessary to wait for the court’s final ruling on which leadership should be officially recognised.

“The possibility of division begins from the ward-level convention itself. Therefore, we should wait for the court’s final decision on which side receives official recognition,” Saud said.

He argued that holding parallel conventions, or allowing one faction to conduct the convention unilaterally, could undermine the purpose of the review proceedings currently before the Supreme Court.

The Deuba faction has also argued that if the General Convention is to be held before the court issues its final ruling, the process should proceed under the leadership of former president Deuba. A national gathering of the faction held from Saun 29 to 31 had also decided that the 15th General Convention should be conducted under Deuba’s leadership.

Meanwhile, the Central Working Committee led by party president Gagan Thapa decided on Wednesday to hold the 15th General Convention on the previously announced dates.

Some adjustments have been made to the timetable for lower-level conventions as part of efforts to reach an understanding with the Deuba faction.

Under the revised schedule, ward conventions will begin on Bhadau 26, while the central General Convention is scheduled to be held from Asoj 16 to 19. Membership management and other convention-related processes have already begun.

The Deuba faction continues to insist that the Thapa-led leadership should not move ahead with the convention process until the Supreme Court reaches a final decision in the review case.

At the same time, efforts are continuing to resolve the dispute through political dialogue. Thapa has been seeking a meeting with Deuba since Wednesday, and talks between the two leaders could take place on Thursday, although the exact time has not yet been finalised.

With the judicial review process and preparations for the General Convention moving forward simultaneously, the internal dispute within the Nepali Congress has become closely tied to both political negotiations and the eventual decision of the Supreme Court.