Deuba Faction Takes Nepali Congress Fight Back to Supreme Court

The intra-party battle inside Nepal’s Nepali Congress has returned to the Supreme Court, with the Sher Bahadur Deuba faction filing a review petition over the recognition of the party’s special general convention committee. The move signals that the leadership dispute, already shaped by earlier court rulings, is far from settled.

According to the news summary and reporting from multiple Nepali outlets, leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Purna Bahadur Khadka submitted the application through a legal representative on Thursday. The petition argues that the court’s previous decision was flawed both legally and factually.

What the petition is challenging

The Deuba camp is targeting the court’s recognition of the special general convention committee tied to the rival faction led by Gagan Thapa. Previous reporting shows that the faction had already challenged Election Commission recognition of the Thapa-led committee, and the dispute has repeatedly moved between the Election Commission and the Supreme Court.

Earlier coverage also shows the Deuba side accusing the special convention process of being unconstitutional and contrary to the party statute, while the Thapa camp has defended the legitimacy of the convention and its outcome.

Why this matters for Nepali Congress

This is more than a procedural legal filing. The fight goes to the heart of who controls the party, who gets recognized as its official leadership, and who can shape its political direction ahead of major organizational and electoral decisions.

Reports from January and April indicate that the Supreme Court had already dealt with interim relief requests, later upheld Gagan Thapa’s leadership, and effectively recognized the Thapa faction as the official Nepali Congress. The new review petition suggests the Deuba faction is trying to reopen that outcome and argue that the court should reconsider its reasoning.

The bigger political picture

The dispute reflects a broader struggle over authority within one of Nepal’s most influential parties. Because the case involves both internal party legitimacy and state recognition through the Election Commission, it has implications beyond party politics and into the formal structure of Nepal’s democratic process.

For now, the key question is whether the Supreme Court will agree to revisit its earlier position. If it does, the case could revive a leadership battle many thought had already been settled.

What to watch next

The next major development will be whether the court accepts the review petition and schedules a hearing. If it does, the ruling could reshape the legal status of the party’s disputed committee and reignite a major contest inside the Nepali Congress.