KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has handed over the responsibilities of Acting President to Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka and taken a break from active politics. Until the upcoming general convention, Deuba will remain a ‘ceremonial’ president while Khadka assumes an executive role. Managing the responsibilities entrusted by President Deuba will be his main objective.

According to Nepali Congress’ statute, Article 25 and Article 26 provide for the position of Acting President. Khadka is acting under Article 25, which stipulates that “the President may appoint the Vice President as Acting President as deemed necessary.”

Article 26 states that in case of resignation or any other reason causing the President’s position to be vacant, the Vice President shall assume the responsibilities of Acting President. Therefore, in the situation created after the Gen Z movement, Khadka has become the Acting President.

Since President Deuba was injured in the Gen Z attack on September 9 and hospitalized, Khadka had, in a way, already managed the party and the situation. During this one-month period, he chaired two meetings of the Central Executive Performance Committee and one each of the Central Working Committee and officials’ meetings.

On October 14, he was one of the key coordinators presenting an eight-point written statement in the Central Working Committee meeting, ensuring a respectful transition for Deuba.

Currently, the country’s politics is very fluid. On one hand, elections are scheduled for March 5, 2026, while on the other, legal measures are being sought for the reinstatement of Parliament.

If Parliament is reinstated, it cannot be denied that Deuba’s political activity, currently on pause, may continue. However, looking at the present situation, it is evident that Deuba has entrusted Acting President Khadka with four main responsibilities.

The party’s key

Deuba, who had already become Prime Minister in 1995, had to wait almost two decades to take over the party leadership. In the 13th General Convention of March 2016, he defeated Ram Chandra Paudel to be elected President.

Earlier, he had been defeated by Girija Prasad Koirala in the 10th General Convention and by Sushil Koirala in the 12th General Convention. During this period, he had split the party in 2002 and established Nepali Congress (Democratic) while in conflict with Girija Prasad Koirala.

Having brought the party to power through a long struggle, Deuba has handed over the party’s key to Khadka. According to the party constitution, Khadka, now Acting President, will exercise the powers of the President.

The success or failure of a person with acting authority, while symbolically tied to leadership, carries moral responsibility. After losing the 2008 Constituent Assembly elections, the then Acting President Sushil Koirala had announced he would resign, but President Girija Prasad Koirala took moral responsibility for the defeat and revoked Sushil’s resignation.

Sometimes an acting president can also betray the sentiments of the president. Nepali Congress’ history includes a party split in 1947 when Acting President Dilli Raman Regmi refused to resign upon Koirala’s release from prison, despite BP Koirala being in jail.

The core of the general convention

The responsibilities of Acting President have added challenges to Khadka’s political life. The demand for a special general convention emerged from the ground of the Gen Z movement, bringing the party to the present situation. Without presiding over a meeting as Acting President, he has already received signatures from 2,488 convention representatives demanding a special general convention. On one hand, the constitution mandates the 15th General Convention to be held by December. On the other hand, according to the constitution, a special convention must be called within three months of receiving signatures.

It is now a pressing issue whether Khadka will take the party to a regular general convention or a special convention. President Deuba has clarified that the party will participate in the general elections announced for March 5. Given the time constraints, it seems difficult to hold either a regular or special general convention before March next year.

For a regular general convention, the process must start at the ward level, after finalizing active membership, which is a source of internal party disputes. As of the June 29 update, including renewals and new members, Nepali Congress has approximately 870,780 active members.

Deuba has entrusted Khadka with the responsibility of steering the party on the ‘track’ through either a regular or special convention.

Leader of Deuba’s Faction 

Deuba became Prime Minister in 1995 with the support of then-President Girija Prasad Koirala, and over time, he had internal conflicts with Koirala. Within the party, he established himself as the leader of the anti-Koirala faction. Whether competing against Girija Prasad and Sushil for the presidency or splitting the party, his source of power remained a strong faction.

Riding on the strength of this faction, he successfully became president twice by unifying the party. His faction has been established within the party for almost three decades. With his break from active politics, he has entrusted Khadka with the responsibility of protecting the faction he nurtured.

Khadka himself has been a loyal member of Deuba’s faction. Even when many leaders who supported him during the party split switched factions, Khadka remained with him. Therefore, Deuba has automatically entrusted Khadka with the responsibility of protecting his ideological group. Khadka also inherits the legacy of revered leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.

With his responsibilities as Acting President, Khadka’s potential candidacy for the upcoming general convention cannot be denied. Having served as central member, co-general secretary, general secretary, and vice-president before becoming Acting President, Khadka now has Deuba’s backing without difficulty.

The appointment of Khadka as Acting President also reflects approval from Deuba’s faction leaders. Bimalaendra Nidhi had openly suggested Khadka for the acting role, and his support for Khadka is considered significant within the party.

Top Representation in National Politics

Deuba, central to national politics since 1995, will inevitably recede due to age and role. After the Gen Z movement, the country has entered a sensitive phase. In such a difficult situation, the role and responsibility of Congress, the largest and oldest democratic party of the dissolved Parliament, are indispensable. Alongside his role as the party’s executive head, Deuba has entrusted Khadka with the responsibility of guiding national politics.

The 70-year-old Khadka, who has served eight times as minister including as Deputy Prime Minister and repeatedly as MP from Surkhet-1, has sufficient governmental experience. Having handled important ministries such as Home, Defense, and Communications, he is considered relatively low in controversy.

Known as a leader who trusts action over rhetoric, Khadka has played the role of coordinator during national crises. With President Deuba on hiatus, Khadka has reached the top echelons of national politics on behalf of Congress. The responsibilities entrusted by Deuba, along with the political changes following the Gen Z movement, will determine Khadka’s political future.