Kathmandu- A total of 62 percent of the Nepali Congress general convention delegates have formally signed in support of holding a special general convention, party General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa announced on Sunday.
Addressing the inaugural session of the special general convention at Bhrikutimandap, Thapa said the overwhelming support from delegates demonstrated the legitimacy and necessity of the gathering. According to him, the signatures reflect a clear majority mandate within the party.
The special general convention was convened by General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma, citing a demand initially raised by 54 percent of the party’s general convention representatives. The move came after the party establishment faction, including the party president, attempted to delay the convention, prompting the general secretaries to proceed independently.
Party leader Manoj Mani Acharya informed that the registration fee for delegates has been fixed at Rs 1,000. He added that the process of registration and distribution of delegate identity cards was still ongoing as delegates continued to arrive at the venue.
According to party officials, the demand for the special general convention was submitted under Article 17(2) of the Nepali Congress statute, which mandates the party leadership to convene a special convention if a specified percentage of elected delegates formally request it.
The Nepali Congress currently has 4,743 general convention delegates from across the country. Organizers claim that the participation and signature count underline broad internal support for discussions on party direction, leadership accountability, and organizational reform.
The special general convention is being held amid a deepening intra-party rift, with differing views on timing, leadership change, and electoral priorities ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives elections.
