Rift becomes apparent in Nepali Congress

Key Points

• Nepali Congress suffered a major defeat in the March 5 House of Representatives elections, dropping from first to second place.
• Gagan Thapa took leadership through a special general convention, ousting Sher Bahadur Deuba prior to the elections.
• The Rastriya Swatantra Party won a landslide victory with 182 seats, significantly increasing the gap with Nepali Congress.
• Internal party conflicts led to losses in at least 21 constituencies, with factions preparing separate committee meetings amid unrest.
• The Nepal Student Union demands functional autonomy, aiming to hold independent elections and oppose party leadership if needed.