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By Our Reporter

Nepali Congress party workers have faced a tough time before the March 5 election as the largest party has been marred by rivalry, delay in election mobilization, and deep distrust.

The Special General Convention, driven by Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma and backed by younger leaders, and the Election Commission’s recognition of the Thapa led central committee changed the balance overnight. For one group, it felt like long awaited momentum. For the Deuba faction, it felt like a sudden loss of ground.

Sher Bahadur Deuba’s camp reacted sharply. Meetings at Sanepa, strong statements, and the decision to move the Supreme Court signalled that the fight would not stay internal. By calling the commission’s decision unconstitutional and ill intentioned, the Deuba faction raised the stakes. Street protests and legal battles now run in parallel. This has confused cadres at the district level who do not know whose instruction to follow, whose signature counts, and which symbol truly represents the party. The matter for the beleaguered Congress has been made worse after Sher Bahadur Deuba decided not to contest elections, reportedly due to differences over ticket distribution with Thapa-led faction.

Shekhar Koirala’s group sits awkwardly in between. It opposes the commission’s move but avoids court and street action. Koirala, who has stayed the middle of path, said that he felt pressure for his balancing act by not joining any camp. However, in reality, the Koirala camp opted to contest the election under the Thapa led mainstream. That decision has encouraged fence sitters to drift toward Thapa, not always out of belief, often out of electoral calculation.

Ticket distribution exposed the party’s deeper problem. Congress waited until the final day, Tuesday, January 20, to declare many candidates. Aspirants spent weeks lobbying, guessing, and switching camps. Even though Gagan, Deuba, and Shekhar factions agreed in principle on sharing tickets, the process looked slow and strained. The Thapa-led faction handed over election tickets to leaders cutting across all factions, as per their past electoral performance. However, delays hurt morale. Local workers who should have been campaigning were instead waiting for phone calls from Kathmandu.

Amid these developments, Congress leaders from both Deuba and Koirala camps had reached out to Thapa and back-channel negotiations had started from Friday, according to party insiders.

“If the Deuba faction agrees to withdraw the writ petition from the Supreme Court, then we would accommodate both Deuba and Koirala,” said a leader from the Thapa camp. “Otherwise, we would allocate at least 20 percent of tickets to the Deuba and Koirala camps.”

Despite this, the Thapa-led official Congress moved quickly to distribute tickets without consulting Deuba and Koirala camps, said leaders from both camps. The unilateral distribution of tickets is expected to affect election results of the Congress, they said.

Nonetheless, leaders like Prakash Sharan Mahat, who is close to Deuba, and several others from the Deuba camp including Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, Bimalendra Nidhi and NP Saud, have secured tickets for the March elections. Likewise, several leaders close to Koirala also secured tickets, said a leader close to Thapa.

A statement issued by Purna Bahadur Khadka, the former acting vice-president of the party and a Deuba aide, hinted at a possible truce in light of the March elections and uncertainty over the court’s verdict.

Khadka and another former vice president Dhanraj Gurung have both decided not to contest, though Deuba reportedly intends to contest election one last time.

Current vice-presidents Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal, and several other senior leaders, have also chosen not to contest. Sharma will lead the party’s nationwide election campaign.

Although leaders from both Deuba and Koirala camps were not part of direct negotiations during candidate selection, representatives of the two leaders had handed over the lists of their preferred candidates to Thapa and his team.

The legal battle between the Thapa and Deuba factions has added another layer of risk. Courts move at their own pace. Elections do not wait. Even if the case does not disrupt symbols or nominations, the noise alone damages focus. Voters watching from outside see a party busy fighting itself while asking for public trust.

Thapa’s camp has moved fast after gaining recognition. A new parliamentary board, clear messaging, and a call for unity signal intent. The refusal to form electoral alliances also sends a message of confidence. Still, words alone will not heal visible cracks. Respectful handling of senior leaders, fair ticket decisions, and discipline at the grassroots level will decide if this moment turns into renewal or regret.

The NC is a large party with deep roots and it has its organizations to the ward level across the nation. Yet size does not protect it from self-harm. If internal differences continue to spill into courts and streets, the party risks losing not just seats but credibility. The March 5 election will test not only its vote strength but its ability to act like a large political organization when it matters most.