Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chairman of the CPN-UML, has said that the party will decide whether former president Bidya Devi Bhandari can return to the UML.
In an interview with journalist Vijay Kumar Panday for the program Dishanirdesh, PM Oli said that former president Bhandari has not consulted him regarding her return to party politics.
“She hasn’t discussed it with me, and I don’t know if she has with others. She hasn’t formally consulted the party either, verbally or in writing,” Oli said, referring to former president Bhandari.
Former president Bhandari recently renewed her UML membership. When asked about this, PM Oli said, “The party needs to sit and make a decision on this. Because she didn’t go to become president on her own accord; we sent her. When she became a presidential candidate, she left the party, but before that, she was our vice-chairperson.”
Journalist Pandey also asked Oli whether the party would make an institutional decision regarding the former president’s return to politics. In response, Oli said, “A decision must be made. Since she has raised the issue and expressed her intention to return, we need to consider whether it is morally appropriate for her to do so. The party will make a decision or provide suggestions, taking into account what impact it will have on the republic, society, politics, the system, and her own life.”
He also said that such a decision would be made soon after holding consultations. “I think she should reflect on it herself. I don’t know what she’s been saying publicly,” he said. “We’ve learned about her public statements expressing her intention to return, and we need to ask her about them. We won’t take long to make a decision.”
Addressing speculations about whether current activities are part of a deliberate plan to hand over the UML leadership to Bhandari, PM Oli laughed and said, “There is no situation right now to hand over the leadership to her. Firstly, the party hasn’t considered or assumed that she will return to politics. Secondly, she has been out of party work for many years, and she lacks the experience of working in a leadership role.”
