Gagan Thapa declares end of factions as he nears Nepali Congress presidency
AI Summary
Gagan Thapa is poised to take charge of a transformed Nepali Congress after declaring the end of the party's decades-old factional divisions at the 15th General Convention.
Gagan Thapa is set to become the president of the Nepali Congress after his main rival withdrew from the race during the party's 15th General Convention.
Following the withdrawal of former joint general secretary Kishor Singh Rathore, Thapa is effectively assured of the presidency, according to OnlineKhabar English News. His only remaining challenger for the post is Shyam Krishna Khadgi. Online Khabar reported that Thapa personally urged several leaders, including Rathore and Dr. Minendra Rijal, to withdraw their candidacies from the stage.
During the closing of the convention's session on Wednesday evening, Thapa announced that the party's long-standing formal factions, including the Deuba, Koirala, and Poudel groups, are now finished. He described the dissolution of these internal divisions as the greatest achievement of the convention. General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire even addressed Thapa as the 'future president' during the assembly.
While the party has increased the number of office-bearer positions to 24, there is no organized faction remaining to oppose Thapa. OnlineKhabar English News noted that Thapa previously rose through the ranks by joining existing factions, such as Krishna Prasad Sitaula’s group at the 13th convention and Shekhar Koirala’s panel at the 14th convention. Now, he faces the challenge of managing the party without the traditional structures that previously absorbed political tensions.
Political analyst Jainendra Jeevan told Online Khabar that Thapa now bears the responsibility of proving that factionalism has truly ended. Jeevan suggested that if Thapa can manage capable leaders and keep the party united, he has an opportunity to set a new record in the party’s history, drawing parallels to the leadership of BP Koirala.
Background
The Nepali Congress has historically been structured around competing camps led by senior figures like Sher Bahadur Deuba and Ram Chandra Poudel. Gagan Thapa spent much of his career challenging these established power structures before becoming the central figure of the party's new establishment at the 15th General Convention.
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