Leaders from the establishment (President Sher Bahadur Deuba) faction and old leaders have been openly participating in the special general convention of the Nepali Congress that began on Sunday at Bhrikuti Mandap in Kathmandu. Although the establishment faction has been pressuring them not to come to Kathmandu for the general convention, a majority (56.12 percent as of Sunday evening) of the general convention delegates from the districts have participated in the inaugural session of the special general convention. The Nepali Congress has 4,743 general convention delegates from across the country.

Not only those close to General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma are participating in the special general convention, but also leaders from the establishment and Shekhar Koirala factions who have not been revealed anywhere. After President Deuba did not hold a regular general convention, 54 percent of the Congress's general convention delegates signed a demand, and General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma called for a special general convention in accordance with Article 17 (2) of the party statute. When the leaders of the establishment group, including the President, did not want to hold a special general convention, the General Secretaries themselves called for it and tried to move forward in a new way, but the establishment faction tried hard to stop the delegates. 

One of the establishment leaders who will be revealed in the general convention is Farmullah Mansur. He was elected as Joint General Secretary from President Deuba's quota in the Congress general convention held in December 2078. He had been in President Deuba's camp for a long time. But on Sunday, he not only did not open up at the special general convention, but also claimed that the Congress has now entered the era of Gagan and Bishwaprakash. Addressing the inaugural session of the special general convention, Farmullah also said that the situation after the Gen-G rebellion will now be resolved by two general secretaries. Stating that they tried to convince the chairman after the movement, but it was not possible, he added, "The chairman still has an opportunity, I urge him to come to the closed session and achieve new heights."

Not only Mansur, Udaya Shumsher Rana also stood in favor of the special general convention. Elected to the House of Representatives from Lalitpur Constituency No. 1, he was also known as a leader close to Deuba. But he attended the Bhrikutimandap on Sunday and said that the ongoing special general convention is the need of the hour. Arjun Joshi, Rajan KC, Nanu Bastola, Pushpa Bhusal, Hridayram Thani, Dila Sangraula and Chatur Bahadur Chand, who are close to the establishment, also participated in the special general convention. 

Similarly, Bharat Shah, who was once the chairman of the Accounts Committee from Deuba's quota, also openly appeared in favor of a special general convention. Shah, who is also a former Minister of State for Finance and is contesting the election from Rupandehi Constituency No. 5, was also directly recommended by the establishment this time. But he has left President Deuba and has openly supported a special general convention. 

Dissatisfaction in Deuba's home district 

Representatives from President Deuba's home district, Dadeldhura, have also arrived in Kathmandu for the special general convention of the Congress. Along with general convention representative Janakraj Chataut, Sampanraj Bhatta and Mankumari Thapa have also participated in the special general convention from Dadeldhura. Although there are 26 general convention representatives from Dadeldhura, including the president, it is said that only three people arrived in Kathmandu for the special general convention on Sunday, but it is said that 3-4 more people may be added. 

Stating that the need for internal transformation is being felt acutely within the party, Chataut initially claimed that he had come to Kathmandu alone to participate in the special general convention. ‘So far, three people have participated. 3-4 more will come. But let’s not reveal their names right now, there is a kind of pressure,’ Chataut said.

Shekhar did not open up, but he was the leader of the party.

In the previous general convention, Gagan party’s presidential candidate Shekhar Koirala could not open up anywhere this time. After losing to Deuba for the presidency, he had been fighting the establishment as the Shekhar-Gagan group. But in the special general convention, he could not present himself anywhere.

Although he had been in continuous dialogue with President Deuba for a few days to reconcile both parties, he did not open up anywhere. In the video message released on Sunday, he did not take anyone’s side either. He claimed that he had submitted his vote in writing to the Central Working Committee while the campaign for the special general convention was going on. He did not open up to any side even though he expressed his opinion, saying that there should be no technical or emotional message of division in the Congress. 

But some leaders close to Shekhar did attend the special general convention and address it. One of them is former Chief Minister of Koshi Province Kedar Karki. He had become Chief Minister in Shekhar's quota. But this time Karki positioned himself in a different category. Similarly, industrialist Binod Chaudhary, elected from Nawalparasi, has also attended the special general convention venue and addressed it. He was considered close to both the establishment and Koirala in the past. Similarly, Sunil Sharma, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Morang-3 and is considered close to Shekhar, also openly stood in favor of the special general convention. Chandra Bhandari, elected from Gulmi-1, who has been in the Koirala camp for a long time, has also come out in favor of the special general convention. 

Who said what?

Leader Gopalman Shrestha, who supported Sher Bahadur Deuba when he divided the Congress in 2059, has also come out in favor of the special general convention. 'No one should be stubborn here. We should move forward according to the law and statute. We should act according to the law and statute,' he said while addressing the inaugural session of the special general convention. 'I believe that the decisions made by the special general convention should be implemented.' Shrestha had said that President Deuba should implement the decisions made by the special general convention to unify the party. He has already said that he now regrets supporting Deuba in the past.

Leader Pushpa Bhusal, who has been supporting Deuba, also joined the special general convention inaugurated by General Secretaries Thapa and Sharma. Arguing that the special general convention was called to prevent the party from weakening further, she added, 'The Congress should now be free from factions. This Kurukshetra of the Congress should now be free from violence. The Congress should now be free from mercy. We do not recognize factions, we do not accept favors. We do not want to let the Congress weaken.' She said that the Congress should now be freed from the Left alliance and become the Nepali People's Congress. She said, 'This general convention needs to give energy to make the Congress a party that can spread like a drum.' 

Industrialist and central member Binod Chaudhary urged the party to take the journey of party transformation started by the general secretaries to a decisive point. Chaudhary said that the Congress should take Nepal to the stage of development under the leadership of Thapa and Sharma. 'The Congress at least wants to stand as a party carrying the spirit of Gen-G. This party wants to bring in with an open heart that politics is not a profession, but an important platform for transformation for society,' Chaudhary said, 'The Congress does not only transform politics, it transforms the country.' 

  Sunil Sharma, leader of the Shekhar faction, criticized the working style of the party leadership. ‘Are these representative faces from east to west, from Darchula to Taplejung, from Sarkegad in Humla to Solukhumbu villages annoying you?’ he asked President Deuba. He said that the leadership has ignored the feelings of the lower-level members of the party, from ordinary active members to the central leaders and general secretaries. ‘What do these innocent faces say? How do you feel when you see these faces, from ordinary workers to the general secretaries?’ He questioned the accountability of the leadership.

Congress Baitadi District President Chatur Bahadur Chand, who is also the president of the Nepal Cricket Association (CAN), commented that the Congress has been in a ‘coma’ for the last four months. ‘The Congress was in a coma for almost four months. I respect everyone who tried to revive the Congress party in a coma by giving it air. Now the Congress is becoming the guardian party of this country. The party that has always been the guardian of this country in history has been defeated and stagnated in the last four months. I would like to respect the general secretaries who are the campaigners of the campaign to bring it back to normal,” Chand added, “The country has sought a big change. The other two big parties could not voice the change. We have come here with the determination and belief that only the Congress can take the country forward in line with the times.”

Leader Mahesh Acharya described the emergence of a new generation in the party as a natural and welcome process. He called the general secretaries Thapa and Sharma the ‘Congress of tomorrow’. He said, “My best wishes to the two general secretaries, they are the Congress of tomorrow. Sher Bahadurji and his generation are the Congress of yesterday. I also have respect for the Congress of yesterday.” He said that the presence of workers from all over the country should be taken as hope for the new leadership.

 Addressing the inaugural session, General Secretary Sharma said that a special general convention has been organized to review the shortcomings of the party and the problems within the party and resolve not to allow such shortcomings to be repeated in the coming days. He stressed that a new journey cannot be made in the same old way and stressed the need to move forward with new thinking and determination. ‘We have called a special general convention to identify the weaknesses and problems committed by the Congress and resolve not to allow such things to happen in the future and go to the elections on 21 Falgun,’ he said. Sharma said that the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra should be viewed separately and it is now necessary to move forward on the path of harmony, good governance and prosperity. He said that the general convention has been called to respect the class that continues to support the country directly and indirectly but is always suffering. 

Similarly, stating that the general convention is the biggest in the Congress, General Secretary Thapa said that the general convention can change leaders, policies and statutes if it wants. Addressing the inaugural session of the special general convention, he also said that the decision made by the hall should be followed and the party should move forward. ‘There is nothing bigger than the general convention in the Congress. The general convention chooses and changes leaders if it wants. If the general convention wants, it chooses the policy and changes the policy, if the general convention wants, it changes the statute,' Thapa said. He also said that the party's special general convention was not led by greed and greed. 

General Secretary Thapa has urged leaders including President Deuba to think seriously. He has also urged the delegates who have come to the special general convention, 'It is tomorrow, let's think with a cool head. We expect the party leaders to come to tomorrow's program. Whether they come or not is up to them. It is up to you (general convention delegates) to decide.' Thapa said that the special general convention is being organized now to bring the party to the right place. 'We are ready to lose to put the party in the right place. If the Congress is in the right place, the country will stand in the right place,' he added. Thapa said that there is no 'ba' within the Congress and that there is no one who should stop speaking just because they say no.