The Sher Bahadur Deuba faction of the Nepali Congress, which did not participate in the special general convention, has insisted that the party should create a mechanism to ensure fairness in the 15th general convention.
The Deuba group, which has been organizing gatherings across provinces, has stressed the need for a task force to resolve internal party disputes and guarantee a fair general convention.
Former party president Deuba had gone abroad for medical treatment and has not yet returned.
In his absence, the faction is being led by former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka. Leaders including Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, and Prakash Sharan Mahat are also part of the group.
Khadka has been leading the group since Deuba named him acting president on October 14 last year.
Leader Mahat, who is active in the group, said that they are in favor of uniting the party.
“We are in favor of the party moving forward as one. Our bottom line is that there should be a common mechanism to ensure the 15th general convention is conducted fairly,” Mahat told Setopati. “Since not everyone participated in the special general convention, they can announce whatever convention they want on their own.”
He said that the legitimate leadership that came from the special general convention should be ready to form an impartial mechanism to move the convention process forward.
“A small consensus-based mechanism should be formed. The legitimate leadership emerging from the special general convention must be ready for that. That is all we are saying,” he added.
Mahat also argued that there was no need to update active memberships.
“Active memberships had already been updated for the 15th general convention. At that time, Gagan Thapa was the general secretary and coordinator of the active membership management committee. Why should active memberships be updated again?” he questioned.
"To resolve all such issues, a consensus-based common mechanism is essential within the party. If such a mechanism is formed, settling internal disputes won't be a big deal. Whether those holding the legal authority want this or not is up to them."
The Nepali Congress has been running an active membership update campaign since April alongside its grassroots campaign. Leaders Purna Bahadur Khadka and Shekhar Koirala have been urging members not to update their memberships. Similar decisions have also been made at gatherings of the Deuba and Koirala factions held in Kathmandu and provinces.
The active membership committee, coordinated by General Secretary Pradip Paudel, has been conducting the update campaign across provinces and set June 4 as the deadline for membership updates.
According to acting chief secretary Krishna Prasad Dulal, digital updating of active memberships is underway in all 6,743 wards across the country. Members can update their memberships through the part’s ward offices or ward presidents after registering their mobile numbers with the party’s central office.
The party says it has made the active membership update process much easier. Members can request an update by filling out an online form. The party also mentioned that an "AI Friend" (AI Sathi) is available to assist if users encounter any issues.
Previously, the Nepali Congress required members to physically visit their respective wards and take an oath to update their membership. Following widespread criticism, the system appears to have transitioned into a tech-friendly online application process.
Although the central office maintains that active memberships are being updated through all ward offices nationwide, leaders from the non-establishment faction argue that it is not necessary to update memberships again.
Leader Mahat say they are concerned about the fairness of the 15th general convention.
"It is the ward committee's job to finalize active memberships – that is our system – and active memberships have already been renewed. If someone has left the party, the updated details could have simply been requested from the respective districts and wards," Mahat said. "There was no need to update in the name of digitization. If someone didn't have a mobile number, it could have been entered by requesting it from the respective wards. The center should not interfere in the name of active membership updates by instructing members on what to do or where to call."
While the party establishment says ward committees have been provided with usernames and passwords to update active memberships, Mahat expressed disagreement with the central office bypassing the party’s system to update memberships through mobile numbers and tools like the AI Friend.
"In the name of active membership updates, it seems the relevant party committees are not even being informed. Our view is that shouldn't happen," he said. "We are not asking for a share; we are simply asking for a common mechanism to ensure the convention's fairness. The leadership emerging from the 15th general convention must come through a transparent process, only then will everyone accept that leadership."
However, spokesperson Devraj Chalise argued that since they also assumed leadership through a proper legal process, they cannot adopt structures outside the party statute. "If any disputes or problems arise, solutions must be sought from structures within the statute. We too have come through the established process," Chalise said.
Meanwhile, party President Gagan Thapa has said that they are ready to accommodate all factions within various party structures. He has consistently pledged to include all sides in key bodies – such as the election, membership, and discipline committees – to ensure a fair and transparent general convention.
Targeting leaders from the non-establishment faction, Thapa said, "Give us the names of individuals you believe will make the 15th general convention fair and transparent if included in a specific committee, and we will appoint them."
However, leader Mahat countered that they are looking for a guarantee of the general convention’s fairness rather than handouts. "Instead of someone generously giving away this or that post out of pity, what we are looking for is the guarantee that the convention will be fair," he asserted.
Amid these tensions, former vice-president Bimalendra Nidhi shared that they are actively scouting for a house to set up a new contact office.
"We are looking for a house for party office in the Bhimsengola and Old Baneshwar area," Nidhi said. "There was an incident, so I came to Janakpur. Prakash Man Singh and others must be looking for a house."
When asked whether the office space was being sought to prepare for the 15th general convention or to form a new party entirely, Nidhi replied, "We are searching for a house to establish a contact office. I will not comment further on this right now; please ask other colleagues."
Meanwhile, some youth leaders close to Deuba have already opened a contact office in Anamnagar. Leaders says the contact office was established under the leadership of outgoing central members Guru Baral, Jit Jung Basnet, and Kundan Raj Kafle, among others.
"Around 300 youth leaders advocating for a regular general convention have come together and opened a contact office in Anamnagar to facilitate meetings. There are other such contact offices as well," Kafle told Setopati, confirming the development.
As the Deuba faction continues to pressure the establishment to form a task force for a fair general convention, President Thapa recently nominated 19 leaders from the Deuba, Shekhar Koirala, and Shashank Koirala factions – who had boycotted the special general convention – as central committee members.
Addressing a Bagmati province-level gathering in Dhulikhel on Monday, Vice-president Bishwa Prakash Sharma said that the party has adopted a policy to dismantle internal factions and strengthen the party.
