Former President Sher Bahadur Deuba's faction and leader Shekhar Koirala's group have increased pressure to go for a '60-40 percent' share distribution to resolve the internal disputes of the Congress. The establishment, on the other hand, is in favor of uniting the party without a share distribution.  

Deuba and Koirala's group are insisting on adjusting the Central Working Committee, which came from the special general convention and was elected from the 14th general convention, to a 60-40 percent share distribution.   After the Supreme Court ruled to recognize the working committee elected from the special general convention, they have put forward a demand to adopt the old 60-40 model of balance of power.  

It is in Gagan Thapa's hands to unify the party or allow it to split - Purna Bahadur Khadka, former acting president When the Congress and the then Congress (Democratic) united on 9 Asoj 2064, Girija Prasad Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba adjusted the party to a 60-40 percent share distribution. At that time, Deuba was given the status of a senior leader, while Koirala was the president. After that, the 60-40 share distribution in the Congress became institutionalized.

Sushil Koirala and Sher Bahadur Deuba, who became presidents after Girija Prasad Koirala, made share distribution the main basis of party operations, not methods and procedures. When they came to power, from the selection of ministers to the distribution of party tickets, political appointments, and nominations of parties and fraternal organizations, a tradition was established that the establishment party would take 60 percent and the other parties 40 percent.

When Sushil Koirala was the president, Deuba even boycotted the Central Working Committee meeting after the share distribution in the nominations of fraternal organizations was not agreed upon. After becoming the president from the 13th general convention, Deuba also gave his closest competitor Ramchandra Poudel (currently the president) a 40 percent share. Deuba's main competitor in the 14th general convention was Shekhar Koirala. Gagan Thapa had become the general secretary from Shekhar's panel. Deuba also shared power with the Koirala-Thapa group on a 60-40 model.

Despite pressure, we will build a 100 percent Congress without a 60-40 share distribution – Bishwaprakash Sharma, Vice President This time, the controversy took a different form, not because of the party split, but because a new working committee was elected from the special general convention held on 27-30 Poush under the leadership of the then general secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma. Deuba and Koirala's faction were not involved in the special general convention. The special general convention, held in the style of 'rebellion', elected a 134-member new central working committee under the leadership of Thapa.

The working committee elected from the special general convention is maintaining its stance not to go back to the old model of unity by institutionalizing share distribution.  While nominating 19 people to the central working committee on 28 Baisakh, President Thapa did not consult former acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka, a Deuba supporter, and leader Shekhar Koirala.  Khadka and Koirala are unhappy that a leader they support was nominated without consulting them.  In the previous working committee, there was a tradition of asking for names from leaders of 'faction' and nominating them based on share distribution. 

Former acting president Khadka said that he had requested Thapa to become the president of the entire Congress because the party had reached a deal to split.  He said that the delay in unity has increased the risk of reaching a deal to split the party.  ‘Now, the decision to split or unite the party is entirely in the hands of President Thapa. I had mentioned this in my meeting with the party president a few days ago,’ Khadka said at the Karnali provincial training of the opposition party. Khadka also recalled that the party was split due to Girija Prasad Koirala at that time and that the unification was due to him.

When asked about the party being on the verge of splitting, Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma said, ‘If only those who participated in the special general convention are given positions and responsibilities, such suspicions are natural, but if we move forward by including everyone by keeping the method at the center, it is wrong to think that the strength will increase towards division.’ He also says that the 60-40 percent share distribution will not be continued in the name of unity. ‘Now, it is not about 60 and 40, but we will all unite and make 100,’ he said.

Vice President Sharma also said that work is being done to unite leaders who are not in favor of the special general convention. ‘Those who did not come to the special general convention, the Congress party also belongs to them. Let’s look at the decisions after the court verdict, whether those who did not participate in the special general convention have been punished or given responsibility,’ he said. ‘Leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe, who was outside the special general convention, has become the leader of the parliamentary party.’ Sharma also said that as an initiative for unity, Meena Kharel has been nominated as the president of the Women’s Association, and former joint general secretary Jeevan Pariyar, Mahendra Yadav and others have been nominated to the central working committee.

Deuba supporter Shyam Ghimire, on the other hand, says that the message of party unity will not be conveyed unless Khadka and Koirala are included. He says that by adjusting the central working committee that came from the 14th general convention and making both parties participate in the election, active membership and disciplinary committees, an environment will be created where everyone can go to the 15th general convention.

Ghimire emphasized the need to go with the model adopted when the party was unified two decades ago for integration. ‘Even then, there was great pressure from a group including Sushil Koirala not to unite with Sher Bahadur Deuba. Despite that, Girija Prasad Koirala unified. Gagan Thapa should take note of this,’ Ghimire said.

Not only the then President Deuba, but also half a dozen leaders who were in the race for successor were pushed to the sidelines by the special general convention held four months ago. The leadership had suddenly fallen on the shoulders of the third generation. Before that, leaders including Purna Bahadur Khadka, Bimalendra Nidhi, Shekhar Koirala, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Prakash Shaman Singh and Prakasharan Mahat were in the leadership race.

According to a Congress official, there is no hope of reaching the party leadership now in any of the second-tier leaders. ‘They are trying to maintain their political relevance by creating factions within the party,’ he said, ‘Deuba supporters are holding meetings at the provincial level just to exert pressure.’

Deuba supporters have been warning that if there is no respectable unity within the party at provincial level meetings, there could be division.’ A provincial meeting was held in Koshi on 29 Baisakh and Bagmati on 30 Baisakh. A meeting in Karnali was held on Saturday as a provincial training. The Deuba faction says that after the meetings in all seven provinces, they will hold a national meeting in the capital and hold a parallel general convention. Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Prasad Sitaula are mainly leading this.

Shekhar Koirala, however, has not been seen in favor of parallel activities. There are no leaders and activists of the Koirala faction present at the provincial level meeting organized by the Deuba faction. Koirala has given a clear message that he will only press for party unity but will not engage in parallel activities. ‘I don’t think Shekhardai will attend any parallel program or gathering, I believe he will join the party unity,’ said Jeevan Pariyar, who was recently nominated as a central member. He is a pro-Koirala leader.