NC at a Crossroads: Unity or Unraveling

The Nepali Congress (NC) is facing internal divisions at a time when it can least afford them. The March 5 elections exposed the party’s weak performance, with only 38 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. These results reflected growing public dissatisfaction with the party, which has been gripped by internal rifts that became more glaring after the Gen Z movement. After the rival group led by Gagan Thapa organized a special convention and elected a new working committee under his leadership, the rift deepened further. A party that had remained at the forefront of almost all democratic struggles in Nepal suddenly looks unsure of its own direction. Then came the arrest of former Home Minister and one of its prominent leaders, Ramesh Lekhak, which cracked open whatever thin layer of unity remained in the party. One side chose caution, avoiding even naming Lekhak in its official statement while calling the government’s move selective. The other side reacted sharply. Purna Bahadur Khadka stepped in as acting president and issued a strong statement, setting the tone for what now looks like parallel party operations under the same banner. This has reflected an unusual tension between the establishment camp associated with Sher Bahadur Deuba and the reformist push led by Thapa.