Nepali Congress leaders advocating for a special general convention have decided not to attend the discussion called by Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka.
Khadka had called leader Guru Raj Ghimire and asked them to come for a discussion.
However, those in favor of a special general convention held a meeting on Friday and decided not to attend the discussion with the acting president.
"The acting president had called me yesterday and asked us to come for a discussion," said leader Ghimire. "We held a discussion among the leaders of the special general convention faction, and it was decided that we would not attend the discussion called by the acting president."
He said that Acting President Khadka has already been informed of this decision on Friday.
Ghimire claimed that they had submitted signatures of 2,488 out of 4,743 general convention delegates demanding a special general convention. He accused the party of ignoring the demands of the special general convention faction for so long.
"The party has never formally called us for a conversation, not even to this day. Therefore, we decided not to attend the discussion with the acting president. However, an informal conversation with him is possible," Ghimire said.
He also said that party President Sher Bahadur Deuba has not called them for a discussion.
The special general convention faction has refused to participate in the discussion, arguing that the party is attempting to introduce a schedule that would not have a general convention.
Fifty-four percent of the party’s general convention delegates had submitted their signatures to Acting President Khadka on October 15, demanding a special general convention.
According to Article 17 (2) of the party statute, a special general convention must be held within three months if signatures are submitted demanding such a general convention. That deadline is set to expire on January 13, 2026.
The special general convention faction has maintained that a regular general convention would be acceptable only if it is held without extending the term of the current working committee; otherwise, a special general convention must be held. They have demanded a special general convention by January 12.
Acting President Khadka has been attempting to introduce the general convention schedule through a unanimous decision of the central committee.
As part of that effort, he has postponed the central committee meeting until Sunday and is holding informal talks with leaders.
Leaders said that efforts are underway to reach a consensus through informal discussions between President Deuba, Acting President Khadka, General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and former office-bearers Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Prasad Sitaula.
The dispute within the NC revolves around whether to hold a general convention before the March 5 elections, and if so, whether it should be a regular or special general convention.
Some current and former office-bearers and around 90 central members close to President Deuba are in favor of holding the general convention in Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May) after the elections, while 28 central members are advocating for holding the general convention before the elections.
Furthermore, General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma maintain that if a regular general convention cannot be held by the end of Paush, there is no alternative to holding a special general convention. Meanwhile, leader Shekhar Koirala has been saying that if a regular general convention cannot be held, the central committee must unanimously decide to hold a special general convention.
Although the general convention schedule has been debated in the central committee since October 14, a consensus has not yet been reached. Acting President Khadka has stated that as long as he is the acting president, he will strive for a unanimous decision and will continue to postpone the central committee meeting until a unanimous decision can be reached.
