‘If Leaders Declare Unity Through a Joint Statement, Congress Will No Longer Be the Largest Party’

The Nepali Congress, which has a history spanning seven decades, is currently facing its gravest crisis. Having won a two-thirds majority in the 2015 election, the party’s representation has dwindled to nearly 38 seats in 2082 (2025 AD). The intra-party disputes that surfaced during the special general convention held on the eve of the upcoming election remain unresolved. Although the Election Commission and the Supreme Court have recognized the special convention, the establishment faction is still not fully satisfied. Previously, the Congress secured single-party majorities in 2048 (1991) and 2056 (1999), and was the largest party in 2070 (2013) and 2079 (2022). However, it has now transformed into a smaller party while internal conflicts persist. From this historical perspective, how will the old democratic party move forward? Is the Congress heading towards any fundamental transformation, or will improvement in leadership style suffice? These questions were explored in an interview conducted by Sant Gaha Magar and Keshav Sawad with Professor Krishna Khanal, who closely observes Congress politics.

In Aswin 2079 (September-October 2022), he stated, “This time, General Secretary Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma must take over the Congress.” After the special general convention, Gagan was elected President and Bishwaprakash Vice President. Looking back now, what does the Congress’s journey look like? When I said “take over,” I meant that the old leadership does not easily relinquish power and that leadership has to be assumed forcefully. Many critiqued this by saying, “Congress is a democratic party where nothing is taken over.” That is true; however, when leaders are unwilling to step down, circumstances arise making it necessary to assert leadership. Undoubtedly, this is the situation through which Gagan and Bishwaprakash attained their positions. Yet, the path to leadership has not been smooth. The upcoming election results are challenging their leadership. Voices of dissent within the party have grown embarrassingly strong. Criticism that “Gagan’s leadership failed as seats decreased” is putting internal pressure on the leadership. Politically, no single election can fully define success or failure. In the 2074 (2017) election, Congress also lost but retained the status of the second-largest party. Although seats have somewhat decreased, Congress remains the main opposition party. Its role as a political party thus remains significant. Nevertheless, the leadership elected through the special general convention appears to have limited official acceptance within Congress. Groups close to former President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Shekhar Koirala have not extended stable support to Gagan. This issue is not unique to Congress but reflects establishment-related challenges seen across many political parties in Nepal.