Gagan Thapa Resigns as Nepali Congress President: What Is the Next Step?
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Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has submitted his resignation to the party’s Vice President, Bishwaprakash Sharma, confirmed Congress Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili Snehi on Wednesday.
“The president’s resignation letter has been received by the Nepali Congress Central Committee. Whether to accept or reject the resignation now falls under the authority of the Central Committee,” Rasaili stated.
Thapa was elected as president during the special general convention held in the last week of Poush (mid-January). After losing the election contest from Sarlahi-4 and amid ticket distribution controversies, reports had emerged that he was considering resignation.
Many inside and outside the party believe that the party’s severe defeat in the general elections requires moral accountability, which Thapa is taking responsibility for.
Additionally, the Nepali Congress performed significantly worse under his leadership, winning fewer seats than the National Independent Party (Rastriya Swatantra Party – RSP), which had previously been ranked behind Congress.
Party leaders and activists have debated extensively across social media whether Thapa should resign or not, with public opinion and experts divided on the issue.
Some within Congress argue that “it is not appropriate for just one individual to bear full responsibility” for the party’s weakened state.
In the last election, although Congress was the largest party, it secured only 38 seats in the House of Representatives, creating a huge gap of 144 seats compared to RSP.
Following this election, which exposed the weakening of the traditional major parties, Thapa is the first major party leader to step down from his leadership post.
Authority of the Central Committee
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Party spokesperson Devaraj Chalise said he would comment clearly on the matter only after the resignation is included on the agenda of the Central Committee meeting scheduled for Friday.
“According to party regulations, if the president has to resign, the resignation must be submitted to the vice president, and the Central Working Committee then decides whether to accept or reject it,” Chalise said.
“So far, I am not aware of any registered resignation. If it has been submitted personally to the vice president, it will be formally included in Friday’s Central Committee meeting agenda.”
Acting General Secretary Krishna Prasad Dulal also said he has not received any formal or informal communication regarding this matter.
“On Wednesday afternoon, I had a lengthy discussion with the president about preparations for the Central Committee meeting, but I have not been informed about any resignation thereafter.”
Process
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If the central president wishes to resign, the letter must be submitted through the vice president to the Central Working Committee.
Once the Central Working Committee accepts the resignation, the vice president will act as acting president, and the party must call a special Central General Convention within six months to elect a new president, as per party rules.
The Election Commission had previously recognized the Gagan Thapa faction as the legitimate leadership with respect to disputes over the special general convention.
However, the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction has filed a petition with the Supreme Court challenging this decision, and the case remains unresolved. Meanwhile, Thapa has tendered his resignation.