Kathmandu: Nepali Congress General Secretary Gagan Kumar Thapa has called on the current coalition government to stop counting down the days until the handover of power and instead focus on effective governance and delivery. Speaking at a symposium on youth-centered economic policy and planning organized by the party at its central office in Sanepa on Thursday, Thapa emphasized the need for results over rhetoric.

Thapa Criticizes PM Oli’s Power Handover Remarks
Thapa indirectly criticized Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who recently stated that he would lead the government for a year before handing over leadership to the Nepali Congress. In response, Thapa said this is not the time for such political arithmetic.

"We are now in 2082 BS. We will be the largest party in Nepal until 2084 BS. We are in the government. We do not have time to waste these two years,” Thapa asserted.
“Let’s not talk about the countdown anymore.”

“Show Results, Not Calendar Marking”
The Congress leader said governance should be performance-based rather than time-based, questioning whether the purpose of the government is to simply mark off days on a calendar.

“Is the government supposed to count the days? And are we going to keep on crossing our fingers—365 days left, 64 gone, now 63?” he said.
“We want to hear what will be achieved in these three years. What will Nepal gain in a year?”

Momentum Lost, Direction Needed
Thapa acknowledged that the government had shown promise in its early days, but criticized it for losing momentum. He stressed the importance of getting back on track and utilizing every remaining day of this term to implement tangible programs that benefit the people.

“This time should not be wasted. The local, provincial, and federal governments should all function in a way that citizens can feel the change until 2084 BS,” he added.

Focus on Congress as the Leading Party
Thapa reiterated his belief that the Nepali Congress will remain the largest party in the country until 2084 BS. He said the party’s focus should be on delivering meaningful results, especially for youth, and making effective use of their position in the government rather than being distracted by internal coalition agreements.

The speech comes amid growing concerns within and outside the coalition about the lack of policy clarity and developmental progress since the formation of the current government.