Can Gagan Thapa turn leadership change into lasting reform in Nepali Congress?

Gagan Kumar Thapa has been elected president of the Nepali Congress with a commanding majority at the party’s 15th general convention, securing 6,584 votes against 375 for his rival, Shyam Krishna Khadgi.

Three candidates had initially filed nominations for the presidency, but Kishor Singh Rathore withdrew his candidacy at the last moment at Thapa’s request. Rathore, who was elected joint general secretary at the party’s 14th general convention, pulled out, leaving Thapa and Khadgi in the contest.

Thapa had also urged Khadgi to withdraw, but Khadgi chose to remain in the race and contest the election through the democratic process.

Thapa’s victory has renewed debate about generational change and transformation within the Nepali Congress. The party has brought new faces into leadership, expanded inclusive representation among office-bearers and increased the size of its Central Working Committee.

However, the entry of new faces alone will not necessarily change how the party functions. Analysts say the leadership must balance competing interests within the party, strengthen its organisation, establish policy clarity and regain public trust.

Gagan and Bishwa Prakash’s partnership

While Thapa was elected president, Bishwa Prakash Sharma was unanimously elected senior vice-president at the 15th general convention. Their elevation to the party’s top positions amid calls for generational change is being viewed as a continuation of their political partnership.

Alongside Sharma, Pushpa Bhusal was unanimously elected vice-president under the women’s category. Dr Chandra Kanta Bhandari and Madhu Acharya were elected vice-presidents under the open category, securing 3,735 and 2,342 votes respectively.

Binod Kumar Chaudhary was elected vice-president under the inclusive category. He received 1,745 votes, defeating his closest rival, Jeevan Pariyar, who secured 1,658.

The new leadership structure appears to bring together experienced politicians and leaders from a younger generation. Whether their cooperation translates into effective party management, rather than remaining limited to the office-bearers’ list, will help determine the leadership’s effectiveness.

Gagan Thapa’s organisational team

General secretaries play a key role in running the party organisation, implementing policies and coordinating between leaders. Thapa will work with Pradeep Paudel, Udaya Shamsher Rana and Dr Dila Sangraula as general secretaries.

Under the open category, Paudel won with 4,194 votes and Rana with 2,310. Sangraula Pant was elected general secretary under the women’s category, securing 3,118 votes. She defeated her closest rival, Mahalakshmi Upadhyay, popularly known as Dina, by 254 votes. Upadhyay received 2,864 votes.

Sangraula had become joint general secretary through the special general convention, while Upadhyay had been elected to the same post at the 14th general convention. Upadhyay returned to the party mainstream on September 18 after leaving the faction led by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Sangraula has become the first woman to be elected general secretary of the Nepali Congress. Her election is a significant development for women’s representation in the party’s leadership.

The general secretaries now face the task of coordinating with the president, implementing party decisions and revitalising the organisation. The effectiveness of the new leadership will ultimately be measured by how they discharge their responsibilities and deliver results.

Inclusive representation under scrutiny

The Nepali Congress has designated several joint general secretary positions to ensure representation across different communities and regions. These office-bearers are expected to help incorporate the concerns of their respective communities into the party’s organisation and policies.

At the 15th general convention, Ramhari Khatiwada and Ajay Babu Shivakoti were elected joint general secretaries under the open category, receiving 2,910 and 2,173 votes respectively.

Jeevan Bahadur Shahi was elected from the underrepresented geographical region category, securing 3,906 votes against 1,376 for his closest rival, Janak Raj Giri.

Pratima Gautam was elected joint general secretary under the women’s category with 5,116 votes. Bahadur Singh Lama won under the Indigenous Nationalities category with 3,245 votes.

Prakash Rasaili Snehi was elected under the Dalit category, while Dr Mohammad Firdous Alam won under the Muslim category with 3,347 votes.

At the time of writing, the party had announced six joint general secretaries from the open, underrepresented geographical region, women, Indigenous Nationalities, Dalit and Muslim categories. Vote counting was continuing for the remaining categories, as well as for Central Working Committee members.

The results in the other inclusive categories will also shape the party’s new leadership structure.

Under the party statute, joint general secretary positions are allocated to different communities and regions. The president can also nominate four joint general secretaries from among Central Working Committee members, including one woman.

Expanding inclusive representation is not enough in itself. Its real significance will depend on whether the concerns of the communities represented are reflected in party policies, decisions and organisational practices. The leadership will also have to demonstrate that these positions genuinely represent the interests and voices of the groups they are intended to serve.

A jumbo Central Working Committee

The Nepali Congress has amended its statute to increase the size of the Central Working Committee from 164 to 297 members. The change, intended to broaden representation, has also sparked debate within the party.

Thapa himself had questioned former president Sher Bahadur Deuba’s decision to expand the party’s office-bearer structure during the 14th general convention. He is now facing criticism for overseeing an even larger committee under his own leadership.

Although the party has argued that the increase in the number of general convention delegates justified expanding the Central Working Committee, questions remain over whether a structure of this size was necessary.

Delegates at the convention venue were divided over the decision to enlarge the committee on the basis of the increased number of representatives.

Keeping a 297-member Central Working Committee active, streamlining decision-making and clearly distributing responsibilities will be major challenges for the new leadership. A larger body can accommodate more voices, but it also risks slowing decisions and complicating coordination.

Political analyst Saugat Gautam says a larger structure does not automatically strengthen representation or inclusion.

“Although the argument is that the Central Working Committee had to be expanded because the number of delegates increased, the question remains why such a large structure was necessary,” he says.

According to Gautam, the justification for a larger committee must be demonstrated through its work.

“Simply making the committee larger does not automatically strengthen representation and inclusion,” he says.

Has the transformation process begun?

Analysts who closely follow Nepali Congress politics view the 15th general convention as part of a process of party transformation. They say the leadership change that began when Thapa was selected as president at the special general convention held last December has become more firmly institutionalised through the latest convention.

Political analyst Geja Sharma Wagle sees an opportunity for the party to regain its strength under the new leadership.

“The Nepali Congress had lost public trust because of the failures of its previous leadership, its inability to deliver while in government, and the involvement of some party leaders and cadres in corruption and poor governance controversies,” Wagle says. “As a result, the party had become unpopular and weak. But there is now a possibility that the Congress can revive itself.”

Gautam also views efforts to revitalise the party organisation and reconnect young people and different geographical regions with the party positively.

“Overall, this has made the party organisation more active. The Congress’s efforts to connect young people and every geographical region with the party are positive,” he says.

According to Gautam, increasing the number of general convention delegates can be positive for internal democracy. However, the important question is how broader representation affects the party’s decision-making process.

Turning expectations into trust is Thapa’s biggest test

Thapa’s decisive election as president has raised hopes both within and outside the Nepali Congress. His main challenge now is to turn those expectations into public trust by bringing substantive changes to the party’s leadership, organisation and working methods.

Analysts say Thapa must move beyond questioning the status quo and making commitments to deliver tangible changes in party policy, organisational structure and working practices. Greater participation by delegates and the arrival of new faces will not, by themselves, guarantee transformation.

“The significant participation of new delegates could bring changes to the party’s power structure,” Gautam says. But the real measure of change, he adds, will be how effectively these delegates influence decision-making and help replace old working practices.

Wagle also says public expectations of the Nepali Congress have risen since Thapa’s election. Meeting those expectations and converting them into trust will be his principal challenge.

“People and party cadres have high expectations of the newly elected president, Gagan. He must now turn those expectations into trust,” Wagle says. “Until the special general convention, he had been raising questions. Now he must deliver results.”

According to Wagle, taking charge of the party alone will not be enough. Thapa will have to change the Nepali Congress’s old image by reforming its principles, ideology, policies, agenda, organisation, generational structure and style of party management.

“He had the benefit of the doubt until now. He must deliver from this point on,” Wagle says. “The challenge is to fundamentally transform the image of the old Congress and build a new one.”

Wagle warns that public confidence in the new leadership could weaken if it fails to meet people’s expectations.

“Gagan does not have the luxury of delaying things or failing,” he says. “This is a test by fire for him.”

Gautam likewise cautions against treating the arrival of new faces as proof of transformation. The justification for the expanded representation and larger Central Working Committee, he says, will depend on whether the new body can work effectively.

The Nepali Congress has an opportunity to change its leadership and direction. The central task for Thapa and his team is to turn that opportunity into organisational reform, a clear political direction and results that people can see. A Central Working Committee filled with new faces could provide a foundation for transformation, but its success will depend on what the leadership actually delivers.

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