While all the political parties represented in the parliament have selected their parliamentary party leaders, the Congress is still in a quandary. Even after ten days since the new elections and the swearing-in of the lawmakers, the Congress has not formally started the process of selecting the party leader.

After the new elections, the RSVP, Congress, UML, Nepali Communist Party (NCP), Shram Sanskriti and RPP are represented in the parliament. Except for the Congress, the leaders of all the parties have been selected. Prime Minister Balendra Shah is the leader of the RSVP's parliamentary party, while the UML has selected Ram Bahadur Thapa, the NCP has selected Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the Shram Sanskriti has selected Hark Sampang and the RPP has selected Gyan Bahadur Shahi as the party leaders.

The Congress has not yet decided when. The main reason behind the delay is the heated internal dispute within the party and the request of Arjun Narsingh KC, who is acting as the Speaker as the senior member.

On the other hand, the debate over whether the special general convention was legal or illegal has flared up again after the election. Former President Sher Bahadur Deuba's faction has not yet accepted the new leadership and the existence of the central working committee that came from the special general convention. Some leaders who contested the election with tickets signed by President Gagan Thapa are also against the central working committee, calling the general convention illegal.

It has not yet been decided when in the Congress. The main reason behind the delay is the heated internal dispute within the party and the request of Arjun Narsingh KC, who is acting as the Speaker as a senior member. The main focus of the leaders of the Deuba faction is on the date in the Supreme Court on Sunday. Deuba and the then acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the Election Commission's decision to grant legality to the central working committee that came from the special general convention on Magh 2. The leaders of the Deuba faction hope that if the court rules in their favor, it will have an impact. Earlier, many leaders who were in Deuba's faction have joined the central working committee that came from the special general convention. Even the MPs who got tickets from the Deuba faction have left the old establishment and joined the new 'changed' Congress.

'If the Supreme Court decides in our favor on Sunday, the party leader will be on our side.' If it is not given and there is a delay again, there may be an initiative for party unity, and then there will be an attempt to reach a consensus.' A leader from the Deuba faction said, 'We have paid attention to that as all our friends are of the opinion that we should wait for the court's decision until Sunday.'

In the nomination for the Speaker of the House of Representatives held on Friday, RSVP Vice President DP Aryal has been elected unopposed. He will be formally elected Speaker from the meeting of the House of Representatives to be held on Sunday. After that, KC, who is in the role of Speaker as the senior member of Parliament, will return to party politics. While in his current role, he is separate from party politics. He also wants to become the leader of the party. The Deuba faction is also holding informal talks internally to field a candidate from its side.

The establishment faction is waiting for KC, saying that there may be a situation where there is no consensus and elections may be held.

‘The question of whether he will be the leader of the party or not is a separate one.’ However, if elections are held between the two factions, he will not be able to vote as he is in the role of running the parliament as a senior member.’ An official of the establishment faction said, ‘The question is why rush when even one vote is important at the time of the election.’

Another leader, Bhishma Raj Angdambe, says that he is a natural contender for the party leader. Angdambe, who belongs to the Deuba group, has been speaking in favor of the central working committee elected from the special general convention. The party had given Angdambe the responsibility of addressing the first meeting of the parliament on Thursday in his capacity as the party. While speaking in the parliament, he had expressed that the Congress has changed under the leadership of Gagan Thapa, the speaker elected from the special general convention.

Angdambe said that he had received indications that the election of the party leader may be held between Chait 23 and 24. 'The election of the speaker is till Sunday. After the election of the speaker, the election of the party leader will be held.' He said that the party is probably consulting,' he said.

The party has informally decided to form an election committee led by Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili and comprising Muna Bhusal and Raju Katuwal for the election of the party leader, but it has not been made public.

Spokesperson Devraj Chalise said that informal talks are underway with both sides to select the party leader. ‘At this time, the feeling is that we should select as unanimously as possible, and the selection may be completed by Sunday and Monday,’ he said.

The party has made an informal decision to form an election committee led by Joint General Secretary Prakash Rasaili and consisting of Muna Bhusal and Raju Katuwal for the election of the party leader, but it has not been made public. The leader of the main opposition party is also a member of the Constitutional Council. Since he is a member of the council that recommends the appointment of constitutional officials, there is a lot of interest in who the leader of the main opposition party will be.

The leader of the main opposition party receives facilities similar to those of the Deputy Speaker. The schedule to the Act on Remuneration and Facilities of Officers and Members of the Federal Parliament, 2073, mentions the services and facilities to be received by the leader of the main opposition party.

In which the leader of the main opposition party gets the same service facilities as the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. The leader of the main opposition party gets a salary of 60,970. Then, he gets special allowance, meeting allowance, information, communication facilities, telephone internet, newspaper expenses, housing facilities, furniture (for the first time), private secretariat, vehicle, driver, diesel/petrol, mobile, tap, electricity, tour allowance, computer operator, office assistant, bodyguard, guard and soldier, soldier and other facilities.

Both KC and Angdambe, who are in the news for the party leader, were selected from the proportional representation. There is also another pressure in the party to make the party leader through direct election. In that case, some young MPs are suggesting that young leaders be made the party leader.

This time, the representation of young people is higher than that of the elders in the parliament. In a parliament where there is a majority of young MPs under the age of 45, voices are coming from within and outside the party that the leader of the main opposition party should be made by a young person. Prime Minister Balendra Shah himself is 36 years old. In that regard, the youth voice has also emerged that one of Niskal Rai, Yogesh Gauchan Thakali and Basana Thapa should be made the party leader.

There is strong opposition both within and outside the party regarding the issue of UML blocking young MP Suhang Nembang from becoming the party leader. Some youth affiliated with the party have taken to the streets to protest. Its psychological pressure is also on the Congress leadership.

Demand for Deputy Speaker

The Congress has staked its claim to the Deputy Speaker position due to the constitutional provision that the same party cannot hold both the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. In the nomination for the Speaker on Friday, RSP Vice President DP Aryal has been elected unopposed and will be formally elected on Sunday. Congress spokesperson Devraj Chalise claimed that after the RSP took the Speaker as the largest party, the Congress should get the Deputy Speaker as the opposition in the House of Representatives and the first in the National Assembly.