Thapa tenders resignation as Nepali Congress chief

Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa has submitted his resignation from the post after the party’s defeat in the recently held general elections, a media report said on Thursday.

The House of Representatives elections held on March 5 elected a 275-member Lower House known as the Pratinidhi Sabha. The Nepali Congress (NC) secured 38 seats in the polls, despite its slogan -- “This time, over 100 seats”.

Thapa, 49, who was projected as the NC’s prime ministerial candidate, also lost from Dhanusha-4 constituency to Amaresh Singh of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Thapa submitted his resignation to NC Vice President Bishwa Prakash Sharma shortly after a date for the party Central Working Committee meeting was fixed, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported, adding that the party has not made his resignation public.

“A Central Working Committee meeting has been called for March 20, where the president’s resignation will be formally discussed,” the report said, quoting a party office-bearer.

“But it is the prerogative of the Central Working Committee to decide whether to accept the resignation,” the office-bearer said. Thapa chose to resign to steer the party towards a regular general convention following the party’s defeat, the report said.

He had revolted against the party’s old generation leadership, leading to a split in the country’s oldest and largest party. The Thapa-led group held a Special General Convention from January 11 to 14 in Kathmandu and elected a 166-member executive body with Thapa as president, which was challenged by the Sher Bahadur Deuba-led faction.