Cinematography: Sreejith R. Kumar
By mid-January, the Nepali Congress, Nepal’s oldest party, was in disarray. A group of young leaders led by Gagan Thapa launched a revolt against the party’s old guard, which refused to relent despite mounting internal pressure.
Mr. Thapa marshalled his supporters to call a “special convention” of the party, a move that culminated in his election as party president. Now, as the Nepali Congress heads to the polls under a 49-year-old leader, the party has undergone internal reforms and has promised to bring about that change in governance if voted to power. Mr Thapa’s rise is seen by many as the culmination of a long and often contentious internal struggle. For years, he seemed a perpetual dissenter – vocal against the excesses of the leadership, openly critical of entrenched practices and persistent in demanding structural change within the party.
His call for generational change grew sharper after the September Gen Z protests, which demanded not only an end to corruption and mismanagement but also a change in political leadership — from an aging elite to a younger generation. Mr. Thapa argued that if the establishment was unwilling to allow a generational transition through the party’s regular convention, a special convention was necessary to force change. And he did it.
rose through the ranks
Born into a middle-class family, Gagan Thapa grew up in Kathmandu and developed an early interest in politics during his school years. He entered public life as a student activist during the 1990s political movement that restored multiparty democracy in Nepal. During the 2006 Janad agitation, he emerged as a vocal advocate for the abolition of the monarchy.
Appointed to the Constituent Assembly in 2008 under the proportional representation system, he steadily strengthened his position within the party. Since 2013, he has won three consecutive elections from Kathmandu-4 to serve as Member of Parliament. But, this time he is contesting from Sarlahi-4 in Madhesh plains bordering India and the party has named him as its prime ministerial candidate.
“He has struggled to get to the top, but what is worth noting is that he has changed alliances several times,” says political commentator Chandrakishore. “Now, as the new leader of the country’s oldest party, his real challenges begin.”
A crowd-puller, Mr. Thapa has a keen sense of political timing and the ability to connect with the masses. But the same swagger that earns him praise has also become a weakness. Critics accuse him of offering more rhetoric than substance. Although known for opposing the high-handedness of leadership, he is also seen as selective in his dissent. On more than one occasion, they have chosen accommodation over confrontation.
In July 2024, when then party president Sher Bahadur Devuba joined hands with CPN-UML leader KP Sharma Oli to form a government – a move widely criticized as unparliamentary as it brought together the two largest parties – Mr Thapa publicly opposed the decision. However, he later chose to support the Oli government, admitting that there was little room for manoeuvre.
Mr Thapa has taken control of the party just ahead of the March 5 election, widely seen as a litmus test for Nepal’s traditional political forces, backed by the Deuba-led Congress, after Gen Z protests led to the fall of the Oli government.
He takes power at a moment of widespread public disaffection with established parties, as new political forces gain traction. The Congress named him as its prime ministerial candidate amid pressure after relatively new entrant Rashtriya Swatantra Party tapped Balendra Shah, a popular figure among the youth, as its prime ministerial face.
Mr. Thapa now has two responsibilities: leading the party through a transition period and delivering electoral success. “He may have won the internal battle, but his real test begins now,” says Chandrakishore.
Published – February 01, 2026 at 01:13 am IST
