Kathmandu: Ahead of the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives, Nepal’s largest party, the Nepali Congress, has split, with the breakaway faction electing a new central working committee (CWC) through a special general convention held in Kathmandu this week.The breakaway faction has elected Gagan Kumar Thapa its new president. Thapa was general secretary of the previously united Congress.With this development, both factions – led by Sher Bahadur Deuba and Thapa – have claimed to be the legitimate leadership of the Nepali Congress.Both sides have now approached the Election Commission (EC), seeking recognition and claiming legitimacy.The Deuba faction has informed the EC that it has taken action against ‘general secretaries’ Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, while the Thapa-led faction has submitted to the commission the list of CWC members elected by the special convention as well as the signatures of general convention representatives on Thursday (January 15).The Thapa faction claims legitimacy on the grounds that more than 63% of the united party’s general convention representatives had elected the new leadership over Sunday and Monday.However, the establishment faction led by Deuba, a five-time prime minister, argues that since the party’s CWC had not authorised the special general convention held on Wednesday, the event organised by the Thapa faction violated the party statute and was therefore illegitimate. The party expelled Thapa and Sharma before the special convention elected a new CWC.The EC is expected to take a prompt decision over the dispute inside the NC because the date for the nomination of candidates under the first past the post category is scheduled for January 20.As the faction that does not receive legitimacy is likely to move the Supreme Court, there is confusion surrounding the NC’s participation in the elections.This has also raised questions over the prospects of the elections being held on March 5. The government led by interim prime minister Sushila Karki, which is mandated to hold the elections within six months of taking over the reins, has not said anything about possible changes to the election calendar.Both the EC and the government are making preparations for the elections. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), which had initially opposed the election, is now ready to participate and making preparations. Except for a few political outfits, all of Nepal’s major parties have shown eagerness to participate in the elections.India, which was first to welcome the Karki-led government formed following the September 8-9 protests, is pressing the political parties to go for the March 5 elections. New Delhi has also provided logistical support for the conduct of the elections.As polls approach, India has engaged with all political stakeholders including political parties. Last week, chairman of the Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal was in New Delhi, where he met political leaders and high-level government officials. Dahal, who had met Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval, said he met other officials but did not mention names.Similarly, leaders of other political parties were in New Delhi this week to participate in a program organised by the Vivekananda International Foundation think tank.At the same time, a high-level Chinese delegation is all set to visit Kathmandu next week.