Kathmandu, March 22 -- The Central Working Committee meeting of Nepali Congress on Sunday unanimously rejected the resignation tendered by party president Gagan Thapa.

Thapa had submitted his resignation to vice-president Bishwa Prakash Sharma last Wednesday, which was presented to the committee for deliberation on Friday.

During the meeting, all 88 office-bearers and members who spoke said Thapa should continue to lead the party, concluding that the recent electoral setbacks were primarily the result of deep-rooted structural issues and external circumstances beyond the immediate control of the leadership, rather than individual failure.

While appreciating Thapa's move as a commendable gesture of moral accountability, the meeting emph...