Balakrishna Adhikari

The Nepali Congress’ 15th General Convention has been thrown into uncertainty after unresolved membership disputes stalled ward-level conventions, prompting party leaders to push for a Special General Convention to meet statutory deadlines.

BP Koirala and other leaders returned home from exile in India 49 years ago, placing national interest above all else in their quest to restore democracy. While Nepal today has a democratic system, the challenges BP had cautioned against remain deeply entrenched in politics.

Struggling with delayed conventions, faction-driven membership politics, and a fading ideological anchor, the NC finds itself caught between being a mass party and a cadre-based organisation, deepening an unprecedented identity crisis.

Party leaders raised the issue during a working committee meeting that began Wednesday, alongside deliberations on preparing the proportional representation list for the House of Representatives (HoR) election scheduled for March 5.

Unity forged against the establishment at the NC’s 14th General Convention is unraveling, as rival factions edge closer to a split. Conflicting leadership ambitions ahead of the 15th convention threaten to reshape the party’s internal power dynamics.

Despite leading Nepal’s political, economic, and social transformations for decades, the party’s growing membership base has not translated into electoral gains. Instead, the NC has continued to lose votes in recent general elections.

The NC’s 15th General Convention scheduled for January 10–12 is increasingly likely to be postponed by at least a month due to unresolved disputes over active membership forms, particularly the distribution of forms without serial numbers.

Party insiders say the upcoming Central Committee meeting will focus on resolving this issue.

Deep divisions surfaced over party leadership and the upcoming general convention during a consultation meeting held on Friday, which included office bearers, former office bearers, and members of the Central Working Committee.  

With the support of the largest party in the House of Representatives, the Nepali Congress (NC), KP Sharma Oli, the Chairman of CPN-UML, became the Prime Minister of the country for the fourth time. His government has now completed 11 months in office. Based on performance, Oli’s 11-month tenu...