KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa was absent from Thursday’s Central Committee meeting.

According to a source close to him, Thapa did not attend after failing to reach an agreement with Acting Party President Purna Bahadur Khadka on the meeting agenda.

Leaders close to Thapa said that on Thursday morning, Acting President Khadka held discussions with both General Secretaries—Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma.

During the meeting, they could not agree on bringing a timetable for holding the party’s regular General Convention by December.

“When Gagan insisted that the timetable for the General Convention must be announced for December, Purna Bahadur Khadka disagreed. So, he decided not to attend the meeting,” one leader said.

Madhu Acharya, a Central Committee member close to Thapa, also confirmed his absence.

“He hasn’t officially announced a boycott, but he did not attend the meeting,” Acharya said.

He added that although he had not spoken directly with General Secretary Thapa, the disagreement over the agenda might have been the reason behind his absence.

Acharya further mentioned that the agenda for the General Convention timetable was not presented in today’s Central Committee meeting.

“When we reached the meeting hall, Acting President Khadka arrived later. General Secretary Bishwa Prakash also came, but Gagan didn’t. There wasn’t even an opportunity to ask why he wasn’t present,” Acharya added.

Within the Nepali Congress, Thapa’s faction believes that if the regular General Convention cannot be held in December, a special convention should be organized in January next year.

However, the establishment faction wants to push the regular convention to May next year.

This difference has led to growing polarization within the party.

Currently, 54 percent of General Convention representatives have signed a petition demanding that if the regular convention cannot be held in December, a special convention must be convened in January next year.