A proposal has been put forward within the Nepali Congress to hold a parallel general convention.
At a time when the Nepali Congress is preparing to begin ward-level conventions from September 9, ahead of its 15th general convention scheduled for October 2 to 5 in Kathmandu, the faction led by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba has put forward a proposal for a separate, parallel general convention and begun discussions on it.
However, Deuba, former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, and leader Shekhar Koirala were not present at the meeting where the schedule for the parallel general convention was presented.
At a meeting held on Wednesday at the faction’s contact office in Chundevi, former joint general secretary Umakant Chaudhary presented a separate general convention schedule. Leaders have begun expressing their views on the proposed schedule, and the meeting will continue on Thursday.
According to a statement issued by Deepak Prasad Kuikel, coordinator of the secretariat coordination committee, a meeting of the Nepali Congress 15th central general convention preparation committee was held at the Chundevi office under the chairmanship of committee coordinator Shashank Koirala. The statement said that Chaudhary presented a proposal related to the 15th general convention during the meeting.
The proposed schedule sets the 15th general convention for December 7 to 9. It proposes holding ward conventions on October 1, municipal conventions on October 6, and provincial assembly/House of Representatives constituency conventions on October 9.
It further proposes holding district conventions on November 1, provincial conventions on November 20, and the central general convention from December 7 to 9.
Leaders including Prakash Sharan Mahat, Padma Narayan Chaudhary, Sita Gurung, Mohan Basnet, Shiva Humagain, Guru Baral, Rangamati Shahi, and Kanchha Ram Tamang have already expressed their views on the proposal.
At the meeting scheduled to resume at 2 p.m. on Thursday, the remaining leaders are expected to give their opinions, after which the general convention schedule is expected to be approved with possible amendments.
The Supreme Court refused to halt the Nepali Congress general convention in response to a writ petition filed by Deuba and Khadka. Following that ruling, leaders from the Deuba faction began preparations for a separate general convention.
During a national gathering held from August 14 to 16, they decided that Shashank Koirala would oversee preparations for the general convention under Deuba's direction.
Those attending the Chundevi meeting to propose a separate general convention include coordinator Koirala and leaders Bimalendra Nidhi, Prakash Man Singh, Umakant Chaudhary, Prakash Sharan Mahat, NP Saud, and Ramesh Lekhak, among others.
Deuba, Khadka, and leader Shekhar Koirala did not attend. Leaders close to Khadka and Koirala are also absent.
This has raised questions about the future of the proposed schedule for a separate general convention.
Leader Ramhari Khatiwada said that he did not attend the Chundevi meeting.
“I am personally not participating in that meeting. It appears that there could be two general conventions. I am in favor of party unity,” Khatiwada told Setopati.
Former acting president Khadka and leaders close to him are also absent. Only leaders close to Deuba appear to be participating in the meeting.
“Purna Dai has not participated in the Chundevi meeting. Now that two separate general convention schedules have emerged, he may make his position public as well,” Khatiwada said.
A day before the Chundevi meeting, leader Shekhar Koirala held discussions at the contact office in Bishalnagar. He met with leaders close to party President Gagan Thapa, those close to Deuba and Khadka, and his own supporters, and said that he would play a role to unite the party. Koirala is also absent from the Chundevi meeting.
It remains uncertain whether Khadka's and Koirala's factions will accept the schedule introduced by the Chundevi meeting.
However, on the final day of the national gathering on August 16, when a decision was made to retain Shashank Koirala as coordinator of the preparation committee until the 15th general convention, both Khadka and Koirala were absent.
However, secretariat coordination committee coordinator Kuikel said that the meeting was held after consulting Deuba, Khadka, and Koirala.
“The meeting was held under the leadership of 15th general convention preparation committee coordinator Shashank Koirala. Rather than party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, and leader Shekhar Koirala attending, the meeting was held after consulting with them. Therefore, whatever decisions are made by this meeting will be everyone's decisions,” he said.
In January, leaders had disagreed over whether the party should hold a regular or special general convention. Before that, two separate general convention schedules had also been proposed at the central committee meeting on November 4, 2025. Then-general secretary Gagan Thapa had proposed holding the general convention by mid-January, while then-joint general secretary Mahendra Yadav had proposed holding it in April. The party statute provides that the general secretary is responsible for presenting a proposal for the general convention.
After a regular general convention could not be held, a special general convention was held in mid-January under the leadership of then-general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma. The Election Commission and the Supreme Court recognized the special general convention.
Deuba and Khadka challenged the decision in the Supreme Court and were granted permission for a review.
Recently, Deuba and Khadka approached the Supreme Court seeking to stop the general convention schedule, but the court ordered that there was no need to halt it.
Amid these disputes, it now appears that two general conventions could be held in the name of the Nepali Congress.
After a general convention is held, the party's central committee must be updated with the Election Commission. The Nepali Congress led by Gagan Thapa will visit the Election Commission to update its details, while the Deuba faction is also likely to visit the commission after holding its own general convention and electing new leadership.
Leader Min Bahadur Bishwakarma said that after holding the general convention, they would seek to update its details with the Election Commission.
“The Gagan Thapa-led Congress and the Deuba-led Congress will hold separate general conventions, elect their respective leaderships and approach the Election Commission to update their details. At that point, a dispute could arise over which one should be recognized and updated. The one recognized by the Election Commission would be the Nepali Congress. The one it does not recognize would remain the Nepali Congress in a changed form,” he said, signaling the possibility of a formal split in the party.
Whether the schedule introduced by the Chundevi meeting will be implemented will also depend on whether former acting president Khadka and leader Shekhar Koirala accept it.
Some leaders, however, claim that preparations are underway to hold a separate general convention and even establish a new party despite opposition from Khadka and Koirala.
Meanwhile, Nepali Congress President Thapa has called a meeting of the central committee for September 5. The meeting has been called as the proposal for a parallel general convention is being discussed, and one of its two agenda items is also related to the general convention.
The Nepali Congress has given members who have yet to update their membership records until September 4, calling it a final opportunity. Unless the party changes its schedule, ward-level conventions will begin in six days, even amid the ongoing dispute.
The Nepali Congress has approximately 800,000 active members.
