BP Koirala’s Democratic Socialism: Has Nepali Congress Abandoned It?

Nepali Congress leader Dr Shekhar Koirala has questioned whether the party has abandoned BP Koirala’s concept of democratic socialism, which he introduced. Speaking at a program organized by the Congress’s establishment faction to mark the 44th memorial day of BP Koirala, Dr Koirala asked if the party has moved away from its founding ideology.

‘Is Nepali Congress part 2, or 2.0, as some call it? Have you ever tried to understand what that means?’ Dr Koirala asked, ‘The party president (Gagan Thapa) spoke about social democracy in his special general convention and speech. BP Koirala’s idea was democratic socialism. Has the Nepali Congress abandoned BP Koirala’s idea?’

Dr Koirala stated that although the terms ‘democratic socialism’ and ‘social democracy’ may sound similar, they have distinct meanings. He emphasized that the Nepali Congress can never abandon democratic socialism.

Former Vice-President Bimlendra Nidhi, who spoke before Dr Koirala, also commented that the Nepali Congress’s shift from democratic socialism to social democracy is a step backward.