The Nepali Congress led by Gagan Thapa is set to hold its 15th general convention from October 4 to 8.
Meanwhile, the faction led by outgoing party president Sher Bahadur Deuba is planning to hold a parallel general convention from December 7 to 9.
With two general conventions being held in the name of the Nepali Congress, there is growing interest in what those close to Shekhar Koirala will do.
Leaders and workers close to Koirala are participating in the general conventions organized by both the establishment and non-establishment factions, making their own decisions based on individual judgment.
Koirala has said that he will not participate in either convention and will instead campaign for party unity.
Leaders close to him, including Bal Bahadur KC, Badri Pandey, and Sanjay Gautam, have also taken a position in favor of party unity.
“Some of us leaders will not participate in either of the general conventions,” leader Sanjay Gautam told Setopati. “We have not told, and will not tell, leaders and workers to participate in one general convention and skip the other. Rather, we have told them to make their own decisions based on their individual judgment.”
Some leaders and workers close to Koirala participated in the ward conventions that the establishment faction began on September 19.
Koirala-aligned workers are also expected to participate in the ward conventions that the Deuba faction plans to hold on October 1.
Leaders say that while Shekhar Koirala has taken the middle ground for a long time, seeking to unite the party, leaders and workers close to him have become divided between the establishment and non-establishment factions and are participating in whichever conventions suit them.
