Kathmandu. Sher Bahadur Deuba faction of the Nepali Congress has submitted documents to the Election Commission, claiming to be the party’s legitimate leadership. A team led by Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka reached the Commission on Wednesday to file the documents.
The dispute over the party’s official status began after the Gagan Thapa faction held a special general convention from December 27 to January 1, during which a new central committee was elected under Thapa’s leadership. Following this, both the Deuba and Thapa factions submitted separate applications to the Election Commission, each asserting their claim to official recognition. The Commission has stated that it is currently reviewing the applications.
Before submitting the documents, Acting President Khadka described the special general convention as an indication of a conspiracy against democracy. He argued that claiming the party’s official status at a time when the proportional representation closed list for the House of Representatives had already been submitted and nominations for the National Assembly election had been filed amounted to a serious threat to the Constitution, democracy, and the country’s political transformation.
“A major sign of this conspiracy is that certain individuals have come to the Election Commission claiming, through the media, that they represent the Nepali Congress,” Khadka said.
Senior leaders including Bimalendra Nidhi, Shashank Koirala, Shekhar Koirala, Ramesh Lekhak, Dr Minendra Rijal, NP Saud, Sujata Koirala, along with central committee office bearers, district presidents, and representatives of sister and well-wisher organisations, were present at the Election Commission.