KATHMANDU: The faction led by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba is preparing to hold a parallel convention of the Nepali Congress, citing dissatisfaction with the ongoing convention process.

The group had demanded that the party halt the delegate selection process and move toward a joint convention based on consensus, arguing that the dispute over the party’s official status remains sub judice at the Supreme Court.

Following the rejection of their demands, the faction has announced its own schedule. Coordinator Dr. Shashanka Koirala stated that the 15th general convention is scheduled for Nov. 21-23 in Kathmandu, with ward-level conventions set to begin on Oct. 1.

The group has appointed election coordinators for 56 districts. Leader Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat noted that while they attempted to achieve a unity convention until the very end, they were forced to move into emergency preparation mode after those efforts failed.

Meanwhile, the central committee for membership management formed by the Deuba faction has submitted the details of active memberships to the Central Election Committee. Kiran Raj Sharma Paudel, coordinator of the membership management committee, handed over the data to Election Committee coordinator Ekraj Pokharel on Saturday.

According to Paudel, the total number of active members stands at 783,836, based on data finalized by Oct. 9. This figure includes 573,369 renewed memberships and 210,667 new active memberships.

Paudel asserted that with the active membership process now concluded, there are no further obstacles to holding the convention on time. The establishment faction, which ignored the group’s demands, has been engaged in the delegate selection process since Sept. 19 and is currently in the final stages of preparing for the 15th general convention.