Following an electoral debacle, voices are growing within the Nepali Congress to hold a special general convention for revamping the party organisation. As resentment builds up in the party rank and file, questions are being raised at the party leadership for its utter failure to attract voters.

With victories in only over 10 percent seats of the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies, the NC pales in comparison to its rivals CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre).

“The Nepali Congress has some soul-searching to do. It is now clear that the current leadership should hand over the reins to younger leaders. The leaders at the helm should now be guardians of the party,” said Gagan Thapa, who won the Kathmandu-4 seat for the NC. “In the meantime, our leadership should immediately call a special general convention where we can discuss these matters more clearly.”

Thapa cautioned that the change of leadership is not the only agenda. He said the NC should again reconnect to the society and reflect on its activities before coming up with concrete plans.

Some other leaders also tend to be in favour of party restructuring. Rajan KC, who emerged victorious from Kathmandu consittuecy-10, said a special Mahasamiti meeting or general convention should be convened immediately. “We won’t fare any better even in future if the current leadership remains,” said KC.

The electoral rout faced by Congress candidates, including many heavyweights, has led to a widespread criticism of the party brass, mainly Prime Minister and President Sher Bahadur Deuba. Leaders said that Deuba’s “dictatorial” attitude, many unpopular decisions including impeachment of then-chief justice Sushila Karki and his risible public appearances all contributed to the defeat.

Leaders like Thapa also believe that the NC failed to popularise its pro-people activities during the elections while opponents invested a lot of resources to publicise the unpopular deeds of the NC and its leadership. As election results continued to pour in from across the country on Sunday, many Congress candidates failed to register victory.