Kathmandu : Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa took the oath of office on Saturday, pledging to make the party Nepal’s most trusted political force during his four-year term.
Thapa was elected president at the party’s 15th General Convention. He took the oath a week after his election, saying the party needed to make several important decisions before the other office-bearers and central committee members take their oaths after Dashain.
Speaking at the party’s central office following the ceremony, Thapa said democracy, self-respect and social justice would guide his leadership. He also pledged to strengthen the party’s role in ideological debate and social movements.
Thapa said his leadership would be judged by decisions, conduct and public accountability rather than speeches or promises, particularly during difficult times.
“What I have said will now be judged through my actions. How I make decisions, fulfil public accountability and stand for justice will determine that,” he said.
He added that the real test of leadership would be how he responds to difficult circumstances, where he stands when challenges arise, and whether he remains committed to truth and justice.
Thapa described the party presidency not as a position of privilege but as a responsibility entrusted to him by party members and supporters.
“I do not consider the president’s position a crown of arrogance. I am beginning this journey believing that I have been placed on the ground to fulfil people’s concerns and hopes, not given a crown to wear,” he said.
Thapa said his central challenge would be to preserve the Nepali Congress’s historical legacy while making the party relevant to the changing aspirations of Nepali society.
Referring to party founder BP Koirala, he said the Congress had established its political identity by addressing the concerns of society in its time. The party must now respond to the expectations of a new generation.
He pointed to questions raised by young people, ordinary citizens and voters who had traditionally supported the Congress but moved away from it in the recent election.
“I have taken this oath for the next four years to build a Congress capable of giving convincing answers to every citizen’s questions,” he said.
Thapa ruled out promises of a miraculous transformation, instead pledging to work honestly and make decisions guided by the party’s core principles.
He said decisions on cooperation or confrontation with political forces and institutions would be based on those values. Even citizens who do not vote for the Congress, he added, would judge whether the party remained faithful to its commitments.
Thapa also said the party’s success should not be measured solely by election results or the number of programmes it organised. Its ability to earn public trust and support citizens during difficult times would be a more meaningful measure.
“My pledge today is to make Nepali Congress the party trusted by the largest number of citizens,” he said. He added that the party must prioritise public concerns and become a reliable source of support for people facing problems or hardship.
Emphasising the importance of ideological debate, Thapa warned that avoiding discussions for fear of losing votes would weaken the party.
“A party that has separated itself from ideas is not a party. Parties without ideas cannot lead society,” he said.
Thapa won the presidency at the Nepali Congress’s 15th General Convention with 6,584 votes, defeating his rival Shyam Krishna Khadgi, who received 375 votes.
Thapa secured 93.9 percent of the votes cast for the presidency, compared with 5.4 percent for Khadgi.
Among the leading vote-getters in the convention, Lalitpur Metropolitan City Mayor Chiribabu Maharjan ranked second after receiving 5,330 votes, or 77.5 percent, in the open category for central committee membership.
Basana Thapa came third with 5,193 votes, followed by Hariprabha Khadgi, who received 5,126 votes as a woman central committee member representing Bagmati Province.
Pratima Gautam, elected as the woman joint general secretary, received 5,116 votes. Nishcal Rai secured 4,956 votes in the open category.
Tirtha Lama, elected as a Janajati central committee member, received 4,853 votes, while Dalit joint general secretary Prakash Rasaili ‘Snehi’ secured 4,803 votes.
Indra Bahadur Baniya received 4,732 votes in the open category, and Subas Poudel, elected as a youth central committee member representing under-35s from Gandaki Province, completed the top 10 with 4,549 votes.
The Nepali Congress has elected 69 women to its newly formed Central Working Committee, but none secured a seat through the non-reserved positions contested at the party’s 15th General Convention.
Women account for 29.87 percent of the 231 elected positions, including three office-bearers and 66 central committee members. Under the party’s statute, women must constitute at least one-third of the committee’s membership.
The party reserved one position each for women among its vice-presidents, general secretaries and joint general secretaries. Pushpa Bhusal, Dila Sangraula Pant and Pratima Gautam won those positions, respectively. Sangraula became the first woman general secretary in the party’s history.
Although the new committee brings together representatives from different ethnic, regional and professional backgrounds, women failed to win any of the 12 candidacies for non-reserved positions, according to the election results.
The 66 women elected as central committee members won through reserved seats across various categories. These include 15 from the women’s open category, eight each from indigenous nationalities and Khas-Arya communities, five each from Madheshi and Dalit communities, and two each from Tharu and Muslim communities.
Two women each were elected from the professional and overseas Nepali liaison committees. One woman represents workers, another represents disadvantaged regions, and one represents Kathmandu Valley.
Seven women under the age of 35 were elected through provincial youth categories, while another seven won women’s seats allocated across the provinces.
The Nepali Congress Central Working Committee has 297 members, comprising 231 elected members and 66 nominated by the party president. The party statute requires women to make up at least one-third of the committee.
With 69 women elected, Thapa will need to nominate at least 30 additional women to reach the required minimum of 99.
Newly elected General Secretary Sangraula described women’s representation across communities and senior leadership positions as an encouraging development.
“Having women represented from the highest levels of office-bearers to every community is positive in itself,” she said.
She added that at least 33 percent women’s participation in the central committee is mandatory and that the party president can nominate additional members if the election results fall short of the required representation.
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