Kathmandu — The internal conflict within the Nepali Congress has intensified as two major factions face off over whether party president Sher Bahadur Deuba should stay or step down. What started as quiet discontent after the GenZ movement has now turned into an organized campaign for leadership change.
Growing Rift Over Leadership Future
A section of Congress leaders, inspired by the youth-led GenZ protests, believe Deuba’s time at the top should come to an end. They argue that the party needs fresh leadership to match the spirit of the new generation. But Deuba’s loyalists disagree, saying a leadership change now would only weaken the organization ahead of the next general convention.
General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma have proposed holding either a regular or a special convention to elect new leadership. However, the establishment faction insists this is not the right moment to do so.
Signature Campaign and Political Pressure
As support for a special convention grows, with nearly half of the delegates already signing the petition, Deuba’s side has begun working behind the scenes to slow the push.
Senior leaders close to Deuba — including spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, former vice president Bimalendra Nidhi, and former general secretaries Krishna Prasad Sitaula and Prakash Man Singh — have reportedly been calling delegates one by one, asking them to withdraw their signatures.
In many districts, more than two-thirds of delegates have already backed the campaign. The central committee meeting, which was supposed to take place this week, has been postponed to October 14 (Ashoj 28), a move insiders say is meant to buy time to persuade delegates to change their minds.
Deuba’s Strategy and Divided Leadership Voices
Party insiders say the Deuba faction has circulated a form claiming that earlier signatures were intended for a regular convention, not a special one.
Anti-establishment leaders argue that this is a distraction. “Whether it’s a regular or special convention, the goal is to replace Deuba through a proper and respectful process,” one central committee member said.
Sources say Deuba is considering naming Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka as acting president if pressure for a convention continues — a step that would let him temporarily step aside and later return. Former general secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula is said to have suggested this move as a way to ease tensions without forcing an immediate exit.
General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma, however, remain firm that Deuba should go now. Senior leader Shekhar Koirala has taken a softer stance, favoring a regular convention by December. Even so, several of his supporters have joined the signature campaign, showing widening cracks inside the party.
Countdown to Deuba’s Term End
Deuba’s four-year term as president ends in December, but his supporters are trying to extend it by another year through the central committee — a plan that could trigger more controversy. Deuba has largely stayed out of the spotlight since being injured during the GenZ protest on September 9 but is expected to attend the upcoming central committee meeting.
For now, the Nepali Congress stands divided — between those pushing for generational change and those calling for stability under Deuba’s leadership.
