KATHMANDU: The establishment faction of the Nepali Congress has concluded that the party’s 15th General Convention can only be held after the parliamentary elections scheduled for March 5, 2026.

The decision was made during a meeting of the establishment camp led by Acting Party President Purna Bahadur Khadka at a hotel in Lalitpur on Wednesday, according to a leader who attended the meeting.

This means the party’s regular convention is likely to take place by the end of April.

Some central leaders had argued that the convention should be held before the elections and urged the central committee—set to meet from Thursday—to bring forward a timeline accordingly.

However, senior leaders including Bimalendra Nidhi and Krishna Sitaula maintained that the convention should be held only after the elections, and the timeline should reflect that position.

“The majority of members believe the convention schedule should be set for after the elections. Senior leaders also emphasized a practical approach and supported holding it afterward,” one leader said.

The meeting also decided that a special convention should not be held, and that those who had signed petitions demanding it should instead be brought into confidence and involved in the regular process.

“It’s not feasible to hold a convention right before the elections. The consensus was that even those demanding a special convention should be engaged constructively,” another leader added.