Nepali Congress party splits, Gagan Thapa elected new president

The Nepali Congress (NC) party on Wednesday formally split as negotiations between the two factions, led by general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwo Prakash Sharma, and party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, failed to reach an agreement.

Organisers of the rebel convention claimed that more than 60% of national delegates attended. The convention elected Sharma and Guru Ghimire as general secretaries and Mansoor as vice chairman.

Dissent against Deuba’s leadership had been growing for months, particularly after his unilateral decision in June 2024 to join the government coalition led by K P Sharma Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal – UML.

The deal promised NC leadership of half the remaining parliamentary term. Deuba also resisted calls from within his party to withdraw support when corruption scandals dominated headlines.