Pokhara, 1 January | The scheduled 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress has fallen into a state of significant uncertainty as the party fails to meet its internal electoral milestones. Despite a high-stakes Central Working Committee meeting that lasted 49 days and concluded on December 1, the ambitious roadmap to hold the national convention from January 10 to 12 (Poush 26–28) in Kathmandu is now under threat. The primary cause of this derailment is the unresolved crisis surrounding the distribution and verification of active memberships, which serves as the fundamental infrastructure for the party’s internal democratic process.
According to the original schedule, ward-level conventions were supposed to commence this Wednesday. However, the process was stalled because the party has yet to finalize the list of active members. The logistical nightmare began when it was discovered that out of 600,000 membership forms sent from the central office to the districts, approximately 400,000 lacked essential serial numbers. These faulty forms had to be invalidated and replaced with new ones, a massive undertaking that consumed valuable time and effectively paralyzed the lower-level election schedule. While the leadership has not yet issued a formal notice regarding the postponement or amendment of the convention dates, the silence has fueled growing confusion and frustration among party cadres across the country.
In response to the deadlock, General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa issued a public statement on Wednesday via social media, advocating for a “Special General Convention” as the only viable path forward. Thapa emphasized that the party’s statute makes it mandatory to hold such a session by mid-January if the regular convention is not feasible. He argued that a special convention is not just a constitutional obligation but a necessity to restore internal unity and confidence before the upcoming national elections. Currently, over 40 percent of the general convention delegates have already submitted a formal petition for a special convention, a move supported by both Thapa and fellow General Secretary Vishwa Prakash Sharma to ensure the party remains legally and politically functional.
