Nepal UK
Nepal's oldest democratic party opened its 15th General Convention in Kathmandu today, while a faction loyal to former president Sher Bahadur Deuba prepares its own meeting in December. The outcome will shape opposition politics after a year of upheaval.
The Nepali Congress opened its 15th General Convention at Khulamanch in Kathmandu on Sunday 4 October 2026, with formal inauguration scheduled for 2pm, according to Nepal News. More than 7,000 delegates are reported to be attending, alongside foreign guests and leaders of other parties. The event is not a routine party meeting: a rival faction under Mr Deuba has announced a separate convention for 7 to 9 December, leaving the party facing what some commentators compare to its 2002 split.
Nepal News reports that the convention led by party president Gagan Thapa runs from 4 to 7 October at Khulamanch. A separate Nepal News report gives the end date as 8 October, so the final day should be treated as unconfirmed. Closed-door sessions on leadership matters were reported to begin on 5 October.
The party's current leadership dates from a Special General Convention held on 11 January 2026. Reporting says the Supreme Court recognised that convention on 17 April and, on 7 August, granted a review permit on the legitimacy dispute. That review is a significant legal unknown: it means the standing of the leadership remains contested in court.
The Deuba faction held a National Conference on 14 August and, from 1 October, began ward conventions across 6,743 wards. Prakash Sharan Mahat, speaking for that camp, said ward conventions had been completed in more than 3,000 wards, according to Nepal News.
Nepal News notes that the Thapa-led Congress won 38 seats in the recent House elections, whereas the party won 89 seats in the 2022 elections under Mr Deuba. The two figures are not like-for-like comparisons, being from different elections and political circumstances, but they indicate the scale of the party's reversal. The party's difficulties are tied to the aftermath of the September 2025 Gen Z protests, which have reshaped Nepal's politics.
The 2002 split followed Mr Deuba's dissolution of Parliament and his subsequent expulsion from the party, leading to the formation of the Nepali Congress (Democratic). Nepal News draws a parallel with today. Parallels have limits: in 2002 the dispute arose from a single constitutional crisis, whereas today's divide concerns leadership legitimacy, delegate lists and the party's response to generational change.
Congress has overseas liaison committees, and international delegates are reported among the attendees. Many Nepalese in the UK maintain ties to party branches. A split would complicate those structures and could affect how diaspora groups engage with Nepali politics. NepalUK notes this as a possibility, not a forecast.
The convention's results had not been announced at the time of writing. Whether the Deuba faction will attend, negotiate or proceed alone is unconfirmed, as is the outcome of the Supreme Court review. No response from the Deuba camp to today's opening was found in the sources reviewed. NepalUK will update when official results are available.
