Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, who served as Prime Minister for five times and Congress President for two times, did not issue a public message of congratulations on Martyrs' Day on Friday.

He last wished Sonam Lhosar in his capacity as the president on 5th Magh. At that time, Gagan Thapa had become the party president from the special general convention and the Election Commission had updated and recognized the central working committee under his leadership on 2nd Magh.

Apart from wishing Lhosar, Deuba has not said anything publicly since leaving the presidency. Deuba has been completely separated from the current leadership ever since the special general convention held on 27th-30th Poush dissolved the central working committee led by Deuba and elected a 134-member working committee led by Thapa.

Leaders close to him who meet him regularly say that Deuba cannot forget the pain of suddenly losing power and authority due to rebellion within the party. Deuba has not yet publicly accepted that Thapa has become the president. He has not even congratulated Thapa after being elected as the president. Deuba has not even deleted the status of president on his Facebook and 'X' accounts.

Congress candidates are going door to door. Candidates who have entered the election fray are looking for a message of unity within the party. However, Deuba has ignored this and has not sent a message of congratulations to any candidate so far.

According to a close leader, Deuba is still hoping that the court will rule in his favor. After the Election Commission updated the Thapa-led Central Working Committee, Deuba and the then acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, on behalf of the old establishment party, filed a case in the court on 4th Magh. The court did not issue an interim order and asked the opposition to submit a written response within 15 days. The case has been given priority so that the final hearing will be held within 15 days of submitting a written reply or the expiry of the deadline.

The possibility of the Congress dispute being resolved before 6 February is low. But Deuba is reassuring his close leaders and well-wishers by showing the case in court, saying that the confusion within the Congress will soon be resolved. 'President Deuba does not want to step out by creating the status of former president,' said a close leader, 'That is why his mood does not seem to be expressed in the election till today.'

Deuba's contradictory character has also been seen on whether to accept Thapa as the president or not. Till midnight of 5 February, Deuba was looking for a ticket to contest the election under President Thapa's signature. He had wanted to contest for the last time. His single name was also recommended from his home district Dadeldhura. On the one hand, Deuba, who went to court to call the Thapa-led working committee illegal, on the other hand, has remained silent after not being able to contest the election on a ticket signed by Thapa.

Deuba's name was at number one on the list of 85 people demanded by the Deuba group to get a ticket. He had been waiting for the ticket till midnight. However, when the new leadership was not positive about giving him a ticket, he was forced to announce that he would not be a candidate at 12.20 that night. Soon after, former president of the Nepali Sangh, Nainsingh Mahar, got the ticket in his place.

Among the list sent by the Deuba group, 35 people including Bimalendra Nidhi, Vijay Kumar Gachhadar, Prakash Sharan Mahat, Kishore Singh Rathore, NP Saud, Mahendra Rai Yadav, Ajay Chaurasia, Shankar Bhandari, Saroj Kumar Yadav, Sushila Thing, Anil Kumar Ruganta, Janak Raj Chaudhary, Tek Bahadur Gurung, Kesh Bahadur Bista, Deep Bahadur Shahi have received tickets.

The then head of the publicity department, Min Bishwakarma, says that the currently uncomfortable environment seen in order to unite the party during the elections should be resolved. According to him, leaders are not able to 'share' the stage during election campaigns, especially due to their positional dignity. He said that the dignity given to the office bearers and members of the Deuba-led working committee during the program and speeches should be adjusted.

‘It is seen that the positional dignity and address seen in the election campaign should be adjusted, words that increase disagreements should not be used and an environment should be created for sharing the stage with a common style,’ he said, ‘It is appropriate to have a common view on the party’s election manifesto and strategy. It is harmful to bring strategic matters by forgetting the history and background of the Congress.’

Similarly, there is a difference of opinion between the old establishment and the new leadership on how to deal with the Gen-G rebellion. There is a common view within the Congress on taking action against those guilty of arson and destruction on 24 Bhadra. But there is a difference of opinion between the old establishment and the new leadership in the Congress on how to understand the incident of 23 Bhadra. The new leadership has been clearly demanding that action be taken against the guilty after an investigation, while the old establishment has understood it to mean taking action against former Prime Minister KP Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.

‘If Deuba had got the ticket, all the leaders of the old establishment party would have been deployed in the elections by now, the case in the court would have been settled, but after not being given the ticket, he himself is in a state of mind not to go anywhere,’ said a leader, ‘It seems that this could disrupt the broad unity within the party.’

Deuba never lost the elections from 048 to 079 from his home district Dadeldhura. After winning 7 elections, he became the Prime Minister 5 times and the party president for two terms.

Mahar, who was a candidate in that place after Deuba did not get the ticket, is busy with the election campaign. Wherever he goes, local voters have started looking for Deuba. That is why Mahar came to Kathmandu a few days ago to request Deuba to take him to his home district. However, he did not get any answer whether it will be possible or not. After that, he returned to his home district and started the election campaign again.

According to Mahar, the people of Dadeldhura want to see Deuba, who has been elected 7 times, once. 'Sher Bahadur Dai is not only a leader, but also the guardian of Dadeldhura district. The people of the district have sent him as an unconditional representative since 048. Dadeldhura has played the role of making him the Prime Minister 5 times and the Congress President 2 times. The public wants to meet such a guardian once, understand the current news, and take a photo,' says Mahar.

Another leader did not want to come out even though it was being promoted that Deuba's face would not bring good results in the elections. 'People do not believe in going to the elections with Deuba as their leader, there has been propaganda that the party's position will deteriorate, so there is a question of why he should go to the elections,' said the leader.

But President Thapa, while addressing an election program in Dhanusha on Friday, claimed that there was no dispute within the party, stating that he was in constant dialogue with outgoing President Deuba. ‘I am in constant dialogue with outgoing President Shradaya Leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, I am in dialogue with other leaders,’ he said, ‘The party has entered the election as one, there is no facility to remain stuck with yesterday’s issues. We should go into the election as one mind, as one. There is no faction in the party, there is only one group.’