Kathmandu, Jan 17 (NationPress) The dispute over legitimacy between the two factions of the Nepali Congress is poised to be resolved by the Supreme Court, following the decision of the faction led by former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to seek judicial intervention on Saturday.

This move came in the wake of the Election Commission recognizing the leadership of the group newly established by Gagan Thapa during a Special General Convention (SGC) held from January 11 to 14, which was conducted without the approval of Deuba's faction.

In light of being rejected as the legitimate leadership, the Deuba faction has resolved to take its grievance to the Supreme Court as early as Sunday, contesting the Commission’s ruling.

According to a press statement from the faction, the meeting authorized Acting President Purna Bahadur Khadka to file a case at the Supreme Court, asserting that the Election Commission’s decision was made in violation of the Constitution of Nepal, existing laws, and the regulations of the Nepali Congress.

The Deuba faction has accused the election body of acting independently, disregarding the evidence they provided.

Meanwhile, the Thapa-led faction convened a meeting on Saturday, calling on party leaders and members to unite as the parliamentary elections approach on March 5.

Spokesperson Devaraj Chalise briefed the media, highlighting the newly elected Central Working Committee's focus on promoting unity among leaders and members in the face of upcoming electoral challenges.

The faction also extended an invitation to Deuba, who is still heading a separate faction, to act as a guardian figure for the party led by Thapa.

With the Election Commission favoring the Thapa faction, the Deuba faction is under pressure to affirm its position as the rightful Nepali Congress leadership ahead of the January 20 deadline for candidate nominations under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system.

If the Supreme Court does not issue an interim ruling against the Election Commission's decision, the Thapa faction will likely proceed with candidate nominations, which would put the Deuba faction at a disadvantage.

Nevertheless, the closed list of candidates under the proportional representation system has already been submitted to the Election Commission.

In the House of Representatives of Nepal, 165 candidates are elected via the FPTP method, while 110 candidates are selected through proportional representation.

This conflict marks the second significant split in the Grand Old Party within 23 years. In 2002, Deuba, then Prime Minister, established Nepali Congress (Democratic) after being expelled for advocating the dissolution of the House of Representatives, contrary to party directions. Following the successful People’s Movement in 2006, the two factions reunited to create a unified Nepali Congress.