Why Gagan Thapa matters for Congress

If he succeeds, NC can reclaim its historic role as the principal voice of democratic moderation.

The Gen Z movement marked a decisive rupture in Nepal’s political life. It was not merely another episode of unrest; it triggered a dramatic regime change and fundamentally altered the relationship between citizens and the state. At such moments, political parties are tested—not by rhetoric, but by their capacity to recognise history when it arrives. The Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest democratic party, initially failed that test. Its response was muted, hesitant and out of sync with the scale of the national shock. Instead of offering leadership and direction, the party clung to inertia, exposing a crisis that threatened not only its relevance but its very purpose.