KATHMANDU: A three-member full bench of Nepal’s Supreme Court is reviewing petitions filed by former Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka seeking reconsideration of the court’s earlier verdict on the party’s official leadership dispute.

The full bench, comprising Chief Justice Dr. Manoj Sharma and Justices Nityananda Pandey and Shrikant Poudel, has been formed to determine whether the petitions meet the legal threshold for a review. Its decision will determine whether the case proceeds to a full rehearing or is dismissed, a ruling expected to shape the future of Nepal’s main opposition party.

Deuba filed his review petition on July 21, followed by Khadka on July 27, arguing that the Supreme Court’s previous judgment contained legal and procedural errors.

On April 17, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by the Deuba faction challenging the legality of the party’s special general convention held late last December. The court upheld the legitimacy of the central working committee elected at the convention led by party President Gagan Thapa.

After the full text of the judgment was released, Deuba and Khadka sought a review of the verdict. If the full bench accepts the petitions, the case will proceed to further hearings. If the request is rejected, the legal battle over the party’s official status will effectively come to an end.

The petitioners argue that the earlier ruling issued by Justices Sharanga Subedi and Nripdhwaj Niraula was contrary to established judicial precedents, legal principles and prevailing laws. They also contend that they were not given a fair opportunity to present their case.

The petitions were filed through Advocate Shrawan Kumar Shrestha, naming party President Gagan Thapa, Vice President Bishwo Prakash Sharma and the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee as respondents.

The Supreme Court’s decision is also expected to affect the dissident faction’s national gathering scheduled for August 14. The group plans to hold the event under the Nepali Congress flag and election symbol. If the leadership dispute is resolved, the gathering may not need to take any major political decisions.

The ruling is also expected to remove uncertainty within the party. Political discussions have long suggested that the faction granted official recognition will retain control of the Nepali Congress, while the other side could eventually form a new political party.