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By Our Reporter

The Nepali Congress has finally settled on a date for its 15th general convention after weeks of arguments, delayed meetings and pressure from rival groups inside the party. The decision to hold the convention from January 10 to 12, 2025, in Kathmandu comes only after the leadership reached a point where continued delay risked deeper internal rifts.

Some said that if the party had gone for a special convention as demanded by anti-establishment faction, the party could have split. For now, the party has avoided that risk.

The debate for special general convention and reforms in the party began soon after the Gen Z protest in early September. The violent turn of that protest, paired with the attack on Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife, shook the party and triggered calls for change. Younger leaders, led by the party’s two general secretaries- Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, and over half of the elected representatives pushed hard for a special convention, saying the party needed a reset before the March 5 elections. They argued that the mandate of the current bodies was ending in mid-December, and that the leadership should not continue without fresh legitimacy.

On the other side, Deuba’s camp wanted the regular convention, and they preferred holding it after the elections. Leaders like Bimlendra Nidhi and Krishna Sitaula warned that rushing the process would only create more friction. With both groups firm in their positions, acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka tried to mediate but could not get them to agree. The central working committee meetings were postponed again and again because neither group was ready to step back. Both camps even held separate internal gatherings to mount pressure.

The equation shifted only after Deuba returned from Singapore. He understood that resisting the demand for an early convention could leave the party badly fractured. He also knew that calling a special convention would weaken him, since it was widely seen as a move to challenge the current leadership. So, he focused on convincing those in his circle, especially Nidhi and Sitaula, who were against holding the convention before the polls. Once they softened their stance, the path cleared for a compromise.

In the end, the party’s central working committee agreed without protest to hold the regular general convention in early January. The term of the existing bodies will be extended only until mid-February. This move helped avoid a last- minute special convention, although leaders like General Secretary Sharma have made it clear that if the January event is disrupted or delayed, the signatures demanding a special convention remain active. This shows that divisions within the nation’s oldest democratic party will remain despite the date for convention has been fixed.

For now, the party seems relieved to have a date everyone can accept. The real test begins as it prepares for two things at once, a national convention and a national election. The challenge for the Congress will be to manage both without letting internal tension spill over again.