Deuba Faction Warns: If Election Commission Denies Us Official Status, We Will Mount Nationwide Protests

Kathmandu — The Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction of the Nepali Congress has threatened to launch protests across Nepal if the Election Commission fails to grant it official recognition according to the party’s constitution and statutes.

Speaking at a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday, acting party president Purna Bahadur Khadka accused the Election Commission of succumbing to conspiracy and pressure that could lead to decisions contrary to the party’s charter and Nepal’s democratic principles. He said such outcomes would be unacceptable and warned that the party’s activists would mobilize from ward level to central headquarters if necessary.

Khadka emphasized that only programs and decisions made by the party’s Central Committee are legitimate under the Nepali Congress statute, and he dismissed rival leadership claims as illegitimate.

“If the Election Commission, under conspiracy and pressure, makes decisions that go against the constitution, democracy and the party’s statute, we will have no option but to launch a nationwide movement,” Khadka said, adding that party cadres would take to the streets carrying the party’s four-star flag.

The dispute follows a special general convention held recently in Kathmandu that elected a new leadership committee headed by Gagan Thapa, a move that has deepened internal divisions within the Nepali Congress. Both factions — the Deuba loyalists and the Thapa group — are now vying for official recognition by the Election Commission ahead of the upcoming elections.

With the parliamentary election scheduled for March 5, the party’s internal rift and the threat of nationwide protests add further uncertainty to Nepal’s political landscape.