Kathmandu, Jan. 20 -- Nepali Congress has kicked off its March election campaign by swiftly distributing tickets, favouring new and youth faces, even as factional divisions and court challenges threaten to overshadow the process.

Following a special general convention convened by a majority of elected representatives of the general convention, the party remains deeply divided, making candidate selection for the March 5 elections a tricky exercise.

After Gagan Thapa was elected party president at the convention-which was boycotted by veteran leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Shekhar Koirala-the Thapa-led central working committee swiftly decided to form a parliamentary board to allocate election tickets.

This move followed the Election Com...