Deepak Manange Joins Congress as Factional Rifts Surface in Kaski

Former Gandaki Province minister Rajiv Gurung, widely known as Deepak Manange, joined the Nepali Congress on Tuesday, as intense intra-party competition unfolded across the province ahead of the party's upcoming 15th General Convention.

According to reporting from Onlinekhabar and Nagarik News, senior leader Shashank Koirala formally welcomed Gurung into the party at an event in Kathmandu. Koirala's secretariat said Gurung has been designated as coordinator to oversee convention preparations in his home district of Manang. Gurung had previously served as a minister in the Gandaki provincial cabinet after winning election to the provincial assembly from Manang as an independent candidate.

Gurung's induction coincided with sharp internal rivalries during local and regional convention ballots in neighboring Kaski district. Nagarik News reported that Kaski Congress leaders who had previously formed a united front against the Deuba camp have now splintered into opposing sub-groups, actively campaigning against one another to secure convention delegates and local posts. District-level leaders who previously backed general secretary Gagan Thapa and central leader Shekhar Koirala are fielding rival candidates. At least five figures—Manoj Gurung, Yubaraj Kunwar, Devendra Ranabhat, Sudip Mohan Bhattarai, and Nabin Sigdel—are preparing bids to contest the Kaski district presidency.

Amid the competitive atmosphere, one constituency avoided a vote. Onlinekhabar reported that Pokhara Metropolitan City Ward 26 chairperson Narendra Thapa was elected unopposed as president of Kaski-1 'Ka' after four rival aspirants withdrew their candidacies in his favor. Thapa, who chairs Pokhara's municipal infrastructure committee and has been discussed locally as a potential mayoral candidate, had initially declared a run for the broader regional presidency before shifting to the provincial constituency committee.

Elections took place on Tuesday across Kaski's federal constituencies to choose regional working committees and general convention representatives. In Constituency 1, Saroj KC, Om Prakash Gurung, and Apsara Shrestha faced off in a three-way contest for regional president. In Constituency 3, provincial lawmaker Prakash Baral and party leader Bishnu Bahadur Chhetri competed for the regional helm.

However, accounts diverged on the race in Constituency 2. Nagarik News reported that the contest was between Devkrishna Parajuli, Subas Sigdel, and Nabin Baral. Onlinekhabar reported that Devraj Acharya was also running, making it a four-way contest for the post.