KATHMANDU:  An emergency meeting of the Shekhar Koirala-led faction of the Nepali Congress (NC) has begun at Koirala’s contact office in Bishalnagar, Kathmandu, in response to the recent disciplinary action taken by the party establishment against 23 leaders and cadres—most of whom belong to the dissident camp.

Senior leaders including NC Vice President Dhanraj Gurung, Joint General Secretaries Badri Pandey and Jiwan Pariyar, Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari, Sports Minister Tejulal Chaudhary, as well as several parliamentarians and central members loyal to Koirala, are present in the meeting.

The gathering aims to draw up a unified position on what the faction has called a “biased and politically motivated” move by the leadership under party president Sher Bahadur Deuba.

The controversy stems from a decision by the NC’s Central Disciplinary Committee, which met from June 23 to July 1 and decided to expel or suspend leaders who allegedly acted against official party candidates—or those supported by the party—during the 2022 local, provincial, and federal elections.

The committee, led by coordinator Ananda Prasad Dhungana, cited verified evidence such as social media posts and campaign materials to justify its decisions.

Among those punished are high-profile dissidents including Mahasamiti members Tulsi Subba and Kumar Khadka, Lumbini Province Secretary Bikram Khanal, and district leaders from Khotang, Parsa, and Dhanusha.

Five individuals were expelled for one year, and others were suspended for periods ranging from three to six months.
The Koirala faction argues that the actions disproportionately target its supporters while ignoring similar conduct from leaders close to the Deuba camp.

With three of the five disciplinary committee members belonging to the establishment, Koirala’s allies allege the process lacked neutrality.

Today’s meeting will assess political implications and determine the faction’s formal response. The group is also expected to call for a review of the disciplinary actions and press for internal balance and procedural fairness within the party.