Former vice-president Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar and former general secretary Shashank Koirala have expressed support for the 25 central members close to party President Sher Bahadur Deuba who have demanded that the party hold its general convention before the elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.
On November 10, twenty-four central committee members had submitted a signed letter to the party’s central office in Sanepa, demanding that the general convention be held before the elections.
In the discussion held in Kupondole on Monday, central member Chin Kaji Shrestha also joined the group, taking the number to 25.
“Today, 25 of us held discussion and interaction,” central member Angelu Sherpa, who took part in the meeting, told Setopati. “Chin Kaji Shrestha also joined our campaign, we are now 25 central members.”
According to Sherpa, former vice-president Gachchhadar and former general secretary Koirala have also expressed solidarity with the campaign.
“Bijay dai and Shashank dai called us and expressed their support and solidarity with the campaign,” he said. “Some more central members are also joining this campaign.”
Former vice-president Gachchhadar had said in the central committee meeting, too, that the general convention should be held before the elections.
Meanwhile, former general secretary Koirala had emphasized the need to reach a unanimous decision through the central committee instead of creating divisions. He had said a regular general convention should be held accommodating the concerns of those demanding a special general convention.
The 25 central members discussed the matter from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.
Speaking to Setopati after the meeting, central member Sherpa said that they would also talk with party President Deuba.
“It has been agreed that we will meet the president collectively and discuss our demands, including the demand to hold the general convention before the elections,” he said. “We will meet the president and present our views and our position.”
Sherpa added that they have already held three to four rounds of internal discussions. They were not present in the gathering of central members organized on Saturday by some current and former office-bearers from the Deuba faction.
The Nepali Congress central committee meeting, which began on October 14, has delayed in announcing the date for the general convention. The central committee will next meet on Thursday at 2 p.m.
There is disagreement within the NC over whether to hold the 15th general convention or a special general convention before the elections, or to hold the general convention only in April.
Meanwhile, 24 central committee members close to President Deuba had submitted a seven-point demand to the central office, including the call for holding the general convention before the elections.
Central members Rajendra Kumar Shrestha, Bharat Kumar Shah, Arjun Prasad Joshi, Pushpa Bhusal, Karna Bahadur Budha, Ganesh Lama, Angelu Sherpa, Dila Sangraula, Uday Shumsher Rana, Nanu Bastola, Dhana Khatiwada, Abdul Razzak, Devendra Raj Kandel, Yogendra Chaudhary, Gopal Dahit, Bahadur Singh Lama, Dilman Pakhrin, Abdul Sattar, Mohan Acharya, Amrit Aryal, Jipchhiring Lama, Ramjanam Chaudhary, Champa Devi Khadka, Narayan Bahadur Karki, and Chin Kaji Shrestha are in favor of holding the general convention before the elections.
