KATHMANDU: The faction of the Nepali Congress that is challenging the party’s official status is preparing to return to the Supreme Court for a third time, seeking to halt the party’s convention process.

The faction led by former party president Sher Bahadur Deuba had earlier approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of its ruling that recognized the special general convention held in late December and validated the party executive committee led by Gagan Thapa.

A full bench comprising Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Sharma and Justices Nityananda Pandey and Shrikant Paudel on August 5 granted permission to review the earlier ruling. The Deuba faction had filed the review petition on July 23.

Following the court’s decision, the dispute over the Nepali Congress’s official status will now be reheard from the beginning.

On April 17, a division bench of Justices Sharanga Subedi and Nripadhwaj Niraula had recognized the special general convention and the leadership of Gagan Kumar Thapa. The opposition faction had first approached the Supreme Court against a decision of the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, the Thapa-led establishment faction says preparations are already underway to hold the 15th general convention according to the schedule endorsed by the previous central committee meeting.

The 15th general convention is scheduled to be held in Kathmandu from October 2 to 5, with the convention process at the ward level set to begin on August 18. The ward-level convention, however, could be postponed.

Speaking at the beginning of the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee meeting on Sunday, party president Gagan Kumar Thapa said the schedule for the 15th general convention would not be affected.

Thapa said the dates had been fixed in accordance with the party statute and that the dates for the central general convention would not be changed.

Why is the Deuba faction returning to court?

The opposition faction has become increasingly concerned after the establishment faction maintained that the convention process would continue despite the ongoing legal dispute.

With the Supreme Court now allowing a review that will reopen the official-status dispute from the beginning, the Deuba-Khadka faction is preparing to file another writ petition, arguing that the party should not proceed with its general convention process while the matter remains under judicial review.

Leaders from the opposition faction held discussions at the residence of former acting party president Purna Bahadur Khadka in Hattigauda on Sunday to prepare the writ petition.

Following the meeting, a senior advocate was reportedly assigned responsibility for drafting the petition.

“The process of filing a writ petition to halt the general convention has begun since the issue of the party’s official status will now be debated from the beginning,” a leader close to Deuba told Shilapatra. “The draft is being prepared, and we plan to approach the Supreme Court either today or, at the latest, Wednesday.”

The draft petition is expected to seek an interim order halting the convention process, citing the pending review before the Supreme Court. The faction is also preparing to seek a mandamus order ultimately overturning the Election Commission’s decision on the party’s official status.