Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, who has dominated national politics for three decades of his 62-year political career, has recently given a message that he will take a break from active politics.

The 80-year-old Deuba, who had the opportunity to become the country's Prime Minister five times and served as the Congress President for 10 years, has been making his own arguments with the announcement that he is taking a break from the post of Congress President.

Deuba, who made his public appearance at the Congress Central Committee meeting on Asoj 28 after the incident of Bhadra 24, gave a public message that he will not return to his old role by handing over the leadership to Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka and handing over the executive presidency to him.

Many in his home district Dadeldhura have linked Deuba's handover of leadership to the political changes that came after the Genji Movement and said that it was natural and positive, and that other parties should also learn from it, while some are saying that there is no alternative to leadership and that he should not give up an active role.

Born in Ruwakhola, Dadeldhura in 2003 BS, Deuba had been actively involved in politics with the Congress since 2020 at the age of 17. At the age of 25, he had become the central president of the Nepal Students' Union, a sister organization of the Congress. In 62 years of politics, he had the opportunity to become the Prime Minister five times, winning all the elections since 2048 from Dadeldhura. After the restoration of democracy, Deuba, who was elected from Dadeldhura in 2048 BS and became the Home Minister, first became the Prime Minister in 2052 BS.

Hemraj Chataut, District Secretary of the Congress Dadeldhura, said that Deuba's latest announcement was in accordance with the party's statute. He said, "There is a provision in the statute that he cannot become the president for a third term after two general conventions. Therefore, it is a good decision for him to leave the responsibility through a regular general convention."

Chetram Bhatta, former ward chairman of Ganyapadhura Rural Municipality-1, Deuba's birthplace, argued that although Deuba's leadership transfer was positive, an alternative to leadership has not been prepared. ‘It is better to hand over than to have the same leadership in the party all the time,’ he said, ‘However, it will be very difficult for the entire Far West Province to find a leader like Deuba, who has repeatedly won the House of Representatives from Dadeldhura and led at the national level.’

Congress General Convention Representative Naval Bahadur Malla said that Deuba has been publicly talking about handing over leadership for the past 6/7 months. He said, ‘His decision is appropriate and relevant in terms of both the constitution and the current political context.’ According to him, Dadeldhura is a district with a strong base for the Congress. If the organization moves forward unitedly, a leadership like Deuba can be born again. He also pointed out Deuba’s influence at the national and international levels.

UML Dadeldhura President Gajendra Shahi praised Deuba’s decision and said that it is a good message for the new generation. He said that Deuba, who has reached there after facing struggle and hardship, handing over leadership now is a commendable step. ‘Now it is time for the youth to enter politics with competence, discretion, awareness and perspective,’ he said. According to Shahi, although a lot of development work was done during Deuba’s tenure, the expected improvement in employment and entrepreneurship did not occur. He said that Deuba should now guide the new generation by acting as a guardian.

Young leaders and activists of Dadeldhura say that Deuba’s decision has started a new political culture and that other parties should also learn from it. Congress youth leader Tek Bahadur Air praised Deuba’s decision and said that including the youth has paved the way for the new generation to get leadership. He argued that it will be difficult to find a leader like Deuba in Dadeldhura now. Student leader Gaurav Air said that Deuba’s move has paved the way for the new generation. He said, ‘This decision is an opportunity for the next generation. Deuba’s decision to transfer generations will make it easier for the new generation to enter politics.’

Bharat Bista Deuba, a youth from Navadurga Rural Municipality-4, said that giving leadership to the new generation is a sign of change. He believes that the new generation needs to take the Nepali Congress forward in a different way by respecting Deuba, who has gained experience in running the party for a long time. He said that the party's district-level cadres are more to blame than Deuba for the lack of development in the district despite being the Prime Minister five times from Dadeldhura. 'It seems that the party's own cadres are in the forefront of the budget and programs for development. Even though Deuba is a political pillar for the Far West, his own cadres are more likely to have a hand in the development that he wants.'

Even though Deuba has been the Nepali Congress President twice and the Prime Minister five times, locals also complain that the overall pace of development in Dadeldhura has not accelerated. Even though Deuba has played a role in national stability, his own voters say that the development of the district is relatively slow. Hari Prasad Joshi, a veteran journalist from the Far West, says that Deuba, despite playing a role in bringing the Far West to the national political center as a powerful leader, has not been able to show great achievements in long-term development.

‘Opening the door to economic development in the Far West by constructing large and ambitious projects like Paschim Seti and Pancheshwor was possible only with Deuba,’ says Joshi. ‘Deuba was not able to take any effective steps for the long-term development of the Far West when he was in power.’ He said that the inability to concretely move forward large projects while in power was Deuba’s political weakness.

Some argue that leaders involved in politics at the district level have not been successful in politics due to Deuba’s political height. While leaders affiliated with other parties could not establish themselves in politics because they could not compete with Deuba, most of the leaders who are currently the president of the Congress Dadeldhura are dissatisfied with the party’s politics.

Hira Bhatta, Ramchandra Chataut, Sher Bahadur Dhant and Karna Bahadur Malla, who led the Congress Dadeldhura for a long time, are not with Deuba at present. ‘The district-level leaders have not been able to survive due to Deuba’s tendency to punish the leaders who formed the party organization in the district,’ said former Congress Dadeldhura President Chataut.