Deuba-led Cong moves top court against recognition of Thapa faction
Former Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday filed a writ at the apex court against the Election Commission for officially recognising the Gagan Thapa-led Nepali Congress.
Leaders of the Deuba faction, including acting president Purna Khadka, reached the Supreme Court to file the writ on behalf of the former PM, who is also the former president of Nepali Congress (NC), according to senior leader of the party Prakash Man Singh.
In the writ filed by NC leaders, the Election Commission (EC), the newly elected president of the NC, Gagan Thapa, and Vice-President Bishwo Prakash Sharma are made defendants. NC claimed that the official recognition given to the Gagan Thapa-led Nepali Congress by the EC was against the party's stature.
Thapa was elected president of Nepali Congress through the Special General Convention held in Kathmandu from January 11 to 14, which has now been challenged by the Deuba faction of the Nepali Congress.
The Gagan Thapa-led Nepali Congress on Saturday called on party leaders and supporters to maintain "internal unity" and "mutual goodwill" to address challenges, as it vowed to focus on fulfilling the wishes of the Nepalese people, including the country's Gen Z youths.
The Himalayan nation's oldest and largest party, the Nepali Congress, on Wednesday formally split as negotiations between the two factions, one led by general secretaries Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, and the other by then-president Sher Bahadur Deuba, failed to reach an agreement over party reforms.
The EC move dealt a blow to the Deuba-led faction.
Talking to mediapersons, spokesperson Dev Raj Chalise said, “The Nepali Congress has decided to focus its attention towards the fulfilment of the wishes of the Nepalese people representing the aspirations of the Gen Z youths."
Prior to the split, Thapa and Sharma had argued that it was necessary to address the demands raised by the Gen Z youths and to revamp the party organisation before the election.
