Kathmandu, September 7, 2026 — The Nepali Congress has resolved a key dispute over active membership ahead of its 15th general convention, but divisions over party leadership and organizational structure continue to prevent an immediate settlement of its internal conflict.
A meeting of the party’s Working Committee on Sunday decided to allow members whose renewed active memberships could not be updated due to technical reasons to participate in the process of the 15th general convention.
Party spokesperson Devraj Chalise said the decision applies to all renewed active members whose records remain to be updated, except those who have violated party discipline, left the party or died.
The decision has removed one procedural obstacle, but differences among the party’s three major factions remain unresolved. Disagreements persist over the party’s leadership, the composition of the central committee and arrangements for the upcoming general convention.
Party President Gagan Thapa had met former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka on Saturday evening and party leader Dr Shekhar Koirala on Sunday before the Working Committee meeting. Following those discussions, the committee revised its earlier requirement that renewed active memberships must be updated, but did not reach decisions on the other demands raised by different factions.
Shyam Kumar Ghimire, a former central member close to Khadka, said agreement with one individual or faction would not be enough to restore unity. He said consensus would need to involve both the Chun Devi and Sanepa camps.
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Ghimire said the group was seeking, among other things, the appointment of 111 people elected to the Central Working Committee at the 14th general convention but left outside the current central committee. He said the two sides should also have balanced representation on all committees related to the election and that major decisions should be made through consensus rather than a majority vote.
The faction led by Dr Shekhar Koirala has also insisted that former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba be included in any agreement aimed at resolving the dispute.
Former joint general secretary Badri Pandey, who is aligned with Koirala, said Koirala had told President Thapa that unity must include Deuba and all other factions.
According to Pandey, Koirala believes that an agreement excluding Deuba would not be sufficient to keep the party united. Pandey said Thapa was positive about the proposal.
Pandey also rejected reports that Koirala had proposed becoming the coordinator of a committee formed to organize the 15th general convention. He said Koirala had instead suggested that an organizing committee could provide a middle ground if the central committees formed through the special convention and the 14th general convention could not be merged.
Pandey said Koirala would meet former president Deuba to discuss how the party should move forward.
Former central member Sanjay Gautam, another leader aligned with Koirala, also said Deuba could not be excluded from an agreement. He said Koirala had conveyed the position to President Thapa and that Thapa had said he would discuss the matter within the party.
The Deuba faction, meanwhile, continues to maintain that the 15th general convention should be conducted under the leadership elected by the 14th general convention. Former general secretary Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said the group’s position that Deuba should preside over the 15th general convention remains unchanged.
Mahat also questioned the need to reconsider Sunday’s decision on active membership, arguing that allowing renewed members to participate in the convention process had already been decided.
The party leadership has so far made no decision on appointing the 111 former central members who were elected at the 14th general convention but are no longer part of the central committee following the special convention. It has also not decided on demands for representation of the rival faction in the Working Committee.
The question of who should lead the 15th general convention remains another major point of disagreement.
The dispute began after a special general convention was held from December 27 to 30 under the leadership of General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma despite disagreement within the then Central Working Committee. Efforts by party leaders to resolve the resulting divisions have so far failed to produce a lasting settlement.