After the internal power struggle within the Congress that has been going on for 6 months has not been managed, the disgruntled faction is going to start preparations for the 15th General Convention by bringing the liaison office into operation in Chundevi, Kathmandu from Monday.

The first meeting is being held at the liaison office on Monday under the chairmanship of the then acting president Purna Bahadur Khadka. Former president Sher Bahadur Deuba and the then central office bearers and members who were in Khadka's favor during the 14th General Convention have been invited to the meeting.

According to the leader of the disgruntled faction, Bimalendra Nidhi, the office will be named '15th General Convention Preparation Liaison Office'. According to him, preparations for the national gathering, coordination between leaders and activities related to the general convention will be conducted from this office. He said that they are still in favor of party unity, but there has been no political initiative from the establishment side.

So far, there has been no possibility of unity based on direct and indirect dialogue. We also need the 15th General Convention and they (the establishment party) also need it. But, so far, there is no sign of a general convention of unity. There will be efforts to come together even till the last moment. If we do not, we will hold a national gathering, and the path after that will be decided by the gathering. 'So far, there has been no possibility of unity based on direct and indirect dialogue.' We also need the 15th General Convention and they (the establishment party) also need it. But, so far, there is no sign of a general convention of unity,' said Nidhi, 'There will be efforts to come together even till the last moment. If we do not, we will hold a national gathering, and the path after that will be decided by the gathering.'

Shyam Ghimire, a central member close to Khadka, says that if the national gathering is not stopped, the party will split. 'Just as a new working committee was formed after going to a special general convention, similarly, it will be difficult to return after calling a national gathering. It will lead to a split,” he said. “To prevent that, the establishment party should reach an agreement within a week or a week and a half. The responsibility of whether to allow or prevent the party from splitting lies with party president Gagan Thapa.”

According to another leader from the Deuba faction, Min Bishwakarma, he said that if there is no agreement, the 15th general convention will be held separately. Two months ago, the Central Working Committee had already brought the schedule for the Central General Convention from 16-19. Currently, the renewal period of active membership has ended and work is underway to distribute new memberships. Most of the leaders from the Deuba and Khadka factions have not renewed their memberships.

“If the party unites, there will be a single general convention. If it does not unite, there may not be a unified general convention. There will be a situation where the two parties will have separate general conventions.” Bishwakarma, who was also the head of the publicity department of the then working committee, said, “There is an atmosphere of lack of communication right now.” There are still all kinds of attempts to unite . If not, it goes to the national gathering . Then the situation becomes different .’

However, the leader Shekhar Koirala faction is separate from the liaison office, meetings and provincial gatherings being run by the Deuba faction . After the joint review meeting held on 17-18 Chaitra after the 21 Falgun elections, Koirala has not participated in the meetings and gatherings of the Deuba-Khar faction .

According to Badri Pandey, a leader close to Koirala, there is no question of participating anymore . Koirala did not even participate in the provincial gatherings . Pandey said that Koirala did not participate in any provincial gatherings except the one he himself convened in Koshi .

In parallel preparations for the 15th general convention, other parties of the Congress, painting the liaison office

‘We have not participated in any other meeting except once, Shekhar Dai did not go even to the provincial level gathering. He himself called it in Biratnagar. Everyone was made open there. The other party (Deuba faction) also participated in it,’ Pandey said, ‘There is no question of going to the meeting and gathering that will be held now.’

According to him, Koirala is on the middle line of party unity. Koirala has not joined the establishment faction for the sake of greater unity of the Deuba-Khadka faction.

Koirala had stressed on party unification by Asad 25 when he met Vice President Bishwaprakash Sharma at his residence on 18 Asad. He had hinted that if unity was not achieved within the time limit, he could go to a national gathering, which could even lead to a split in the party.

Koirala has also suggested a roadmap for unity between both sides. If the 111 members of the then Central Working Committee of former President Deuba's faction cannot be accommodated in the Central Working Committee, he has given the option of forming a 'mechanism' comprising both sides to move ahead with preparations for the general convention.

'After meeting and talking to everyone, Shekhar Dai has asked us to find a solution by Asad 25, saying that the situation will be serious if the problem is not resolved,' Pandey said, 'I do not need a senior leader.' He has talked about a mechanism that includes both parties so that the general convention can be fair and united.'

Koirala has raised the issue of forming an additional election, membership investigation, discipline and statute amendment committee with the participation of both parties and that all members who have been renewed for the 15th general convention by 10 Poush 2082 should participate in the general convention.

However, former President Deuba and Khadka's faction leaders have been taking the stance that while agreement can be reached on other issues, the central working committee should be adjusted. Leader Nidhi said that the central working committee from the 14th general convention and the special general convention should be 'merged'. Out of the 164-member central working committee in the 14th general convention, 111 are currently outside the central working committee. The issue of adjusting all of them has been raised by Deuba's faction leaders.

‘The main thing is to merge the central working committee that came from the 14th general convention and the special general convention. Until that happens, there can be no agreement,’ Nidhi added.

According to General Secretary Gururaj Ghimire, there can be no agreement on ‘merging’ the working committee led by former President Deuba with the central working committee that came from the special general convention.

According to the statute passed by the special general convention, the president can nominate 61 central members. Of those, 19 have already been nominated. Ghimire argues that only a certain number can be adjusted in the remaining 42.

In addition, President Thapa has already proposed to give senior leaders to other party leaders Shekhar Koirala and Khadka. However, both leaders have already responded that they do not want senior leaders.