Gagan Kumar Thapa Wins Nepali Congress Presidency in Landslide
Gagan Kumar Thapa secured 93.88% of the vote to remain president of the Nepali Congress amid a boycott by rival faction leader Sher Bahadur Deuba.
Incumbent Gagan Kumar Thapa was elected president of the Nepali Congress on October 10, 2026, during the party's 15th General Convention in Kathmandu. Thapa secured 6,584 votes, approximately 93.88% of the total cast, defeating candidate Shyam Krishna Khadgi, who received 375 votes. The election saw a turnout of 96.20%, with 7,013 total votes cast for the presidency.
Thapa stated that the party's primary objective following the convention is to regain approximately one million traditional voters lost in the previous election by addressing their grievances. He noted that the party must organize itself internally following a poor result in the March elections.
The victory comes amid a deep internal divide. A faction led by former leader Sher Bahadur Deuba boycotted the proceedings, arguing that the leadership remains open pending a Supreme Court of Nepal review of a January special convention. While the court previously upheld the recognition of Thapa's leadership, the Deuba faction has announced a rival 15th General Convention in Kathmandu scheduled for December 7 to 9.
To ensure transparency during the vote counting at the National Assembly Hall, authorities installed CCTV cameras at three locations. Following the presidential result, ballots for other office-bearers and committee members were transported to the party's central office in Sanepa for counting.
