Nepal, Sept. 16 -- The Nepali Congress (NC) appears headed for another major internal rupture, with party President Gagan Thapa's establishment faction moving ahead with the 15th General Convention while the faction led by former president Sher Bahadur Deuba urges party leaders and cadres to stay away from the process.

The latest appeals from the two sides have underscored the widening divide in Nepal's oldest democratic party, with both factions claiming legitimacy and invoking the party's interests to justify their positions.

Thapa on Tuesday appealed to party leaders, cadres, members, supporters and well-wishers to participate enthusiastically in the convention process, beginning with ward conventions on September 19 and 20. The gen...