NC Dissident Faction’s National Gathering on Aug 14; Party Will Not Unite Unless Gagan Thapa Wants It: Khadka

Kathmandu / July 22: The dissident faction of the Nepali Congress has announced that it will hold a national gathering on August 14, 2026, in Kathmandu.

The announcement was made by senior leader Prakash Man Singh during a program organized in Kathmandu on Wednesday to mark the 44th memorial day of Nepali Congress founding leader B.P. Koirala.

Speaking at the event, leaders including Purna Bahadur Khadka, Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Dr. Shashanka Koirala, and Dr. Shekhar Koirala said the country was passing through a highly complex situation and stressed that the party should move forward through unity rather than internal division.

Party Will Not Unite Unless Gagan Thapa Wants It: Khadka

Former acting president of the Nepali Congress Purna Bahadur Khadka said that the key to maintaining internal unity lies in the hands of the party leadership.

Addressing the memorial program held at the Nepal Academy (Pragya Pratishthan), Khadka, referring to the leadership that emerged from the party’s special convention, remarked that the party cannot be united unless President Gagan Thapa is willing to unite it.

However, he clarified that his group would continue efforts until the last moment to keep the party united.

Citing a historical example, Khadka said that former party president Girija Prasad Koirala had once taken the historic decision to reunify a split Congress party.

“Today, the responsibility of deciding whether the party will remain united or become divided rests with you, Gaganji,” Khadka said. “The party cannot unite unless you want it to, so I urge you to take the decision in favor of unity.”

Khadka proposed linking the organizational structures of the 14th General Convention and the Special General Convention as a basis for party unity. He argued that sidelining the executive committee elected through the 14th convention and recognizing only the committee formed through the special convention had undermined established legal precedents.

“Connect the central committees of the regular and special conventions and guarantee that the 15th General Convention will be fair and independent; the Nepali Congress will unite immediately,” he said.

He also claimed that although President Gagan Thapa and Vice President Bishwo Prakash Sharma had expressed commitment to reconciliation during meetings with his group, different messages were emerging in public.

Khadka insisted that his faction was not bargaining for positions and pledged to stand as a protective force for younger leaders.

“We have already held all positions in the past; we do not need any position anymore,” he said. “We will continue working for consensus until the final moment. But we cannot surrender by giving up our self-respect; we are prepared even to die for it.”

He emphasized that national unity within the Nepali Congress has become a national necessity at a time when Nepal’s nationalism and democratic system are facing challenges.

According to Khadka, the current crisis can be resolved only by putting into practice B.P. Koirala’s principles of dialogue, consensus, and unity. He added that a united Congress would be able to play a leading role in bringing together all forces involved in constitution-building.