Nepali Congress Splits Before March 5 Polls; Gagan Thapa Emerges as Breakaway Faction's New Leader

Nepal’s largest political party, the Nepali Congress (NC), has fractured just months ahead of the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. A breakaway group convened a special general convention in Kathmandu this week, electing a new central working committee (CWC) and appointing Gagan Kumar Thapa as its president. Thapa, who previously served as the party’s general secretary, now finds himself at the helm of a faction staking its claim to the party’s leadership.

With the split, the NC is effectively running two competing camps: one led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the other by Thapa. Both factions have approached the Election Commission (EC) to assert their legitimacy, plunging the party into a high-stakes legal and political tussle.

The Deuba faction told the EC that it had taken disciplinary action against Thapa and fellow general secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma. In contrast, the Thapa group submitted a list of its newly elected CWC members, along with the signatures of representatives who attended the January 15 convention, claiming that over 63% of the party’s general convention delegates supported the new leadership.

However, Deuba’s camp has rejected the convention’s validity, arguing that the CWC had not sanctioned the event and that it violated the party’s statute. Ahead of the special convention, Thapa and Sharma were expelled by Deuba’s leadership, further deepening the rift.

The EC is expected to issue a ruling swiftly, with candidate nominations for the first-past-the-post elections set to begin on January 20. Meanwhile, the faction that is not recognised may challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, creating uncertainty over the NC’s participation in the polls.

The split has also sparked broader questions about whether the March 5 elections will proceed as planned. The interim government, led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, which is mandated to hold elections within six months of assuming office, has so far remained silent on any potential changes to the electoral timetable. Nevertheless, both the EC and the government are continuing preparations to ensure the polls go ahead.

Most major parties in Nepal, including the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)—which initially opposed the elections—are now actively preparing to contest. India, which welcomed the Karki-led government following September’s political protests, has urged all parties to stick to the March 5 schedule and has provided logistical support for the elections.

In recent weeks, New Delhi has engaged extensively with Nepali political leaders. Pushpa Kamal Dahal, chairman of the Nepal Communist Party, visited India last week, meeting senior officials, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Leaders of other parties also participated in a program hosted by the Vivekananda International Foundation, highlighting India’s active diplomatic role.

Meanwhile, a senior Chinese delegation is slated to visit Kathmandu next week, signalling growing international attention as Nepal navigates its upcoming elections amid political uncertainty.

Also Read: Curfew Enforced in Nepal’s Bara as Gen Z Protests Surge Again