Purna Bahadur Khadka Says He Has Had No Contact With Gagan Thapa for 31 Days as Nepali Congress Tensions Deepen

Purna Bahadur Khadka has publicly said he has had no communication with Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa for 31 days, adding a new layer of tension to the party’s already fragile internal politics.

In a social media post, the former acting president said rumors of ongoing negotiations were inaccurate and clarified that no dialogue had taken place during that period. He also said his efforts to preserve party unity over the past two months have faced serious obstacles.

What Khadka’s statement signals

Khadka’s remarks suggest that internal mediation efforts inside the Nepali Congress remain stuck, despite repeated attempts to cool factional conflict. Reporting in recent weeks has pointed to widening differences over leadership, party organization, and the future direction of the party, with both camps holding parallel meetings and back-channel talks failing to produce a breakthrough.

Earlier reports described growing friction between the Gagan Thapa camp and the Deuba-Khadka faction, including disputes over the formation of an organizing committee and the timing of the party’s general convention. Those tensions had already raised speculation that the party could face a split if reconciliation efforts continue to fail.

Why this matters

The Nepali Congress is one of Nepal’s most influential political parties, so signs of sustained contact breakdown between senior leaders are politically significant. When top figures stop communicating publicly or privately for weeks at a time, it often indicates that internal trust has eroded and that compromise is becoming harder to reach.

Khadka’s decision to speak openly on social media also shows that the conflict is no longer confined to closed-door discussions. Public statements like this can harden positions, but they can also pressure party leaders to re-engage if the dispute becomes too visible for supporters and voters to ignore.

Background to the dispute

Recent coverage has shown a pattern of uneasy engagement between Gagan Thapa, Purna Bahadur Khadka, and other senior leaders. One report described a one-hour meeting between Thapa and Khadka at Khadka’s residence, while another said Thapa and Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma met Khadka in an effort to ease the rift.

Despite those contacts, the broader conflict appears unresolved. That makes Khadka’s latest claim especially notable because it contradicts the impression that regular talks are still underway.

What to watch next

The key question is whether the Nepali Congress can revive direct dialogue before factional tensions deepen further. If leaders fail to bridge the gap, the party could face more public friction, organizational paralysis, or renewed speculation about a formal split.

For now, Khadka’s message is a clear signal that the party’s internal divide remains open and that reconciliation is far from guaranteed.