Former president Bidya Devi Bhandari has said that she has already moved forward in active politics with the CPN-UML and that, as a daughter of Majh Kirat, she will not waver.
Amid intense discussions in the UML central committee about whether a former president should be brought back into party politics, Bhandari invited journalists to her Bhaisepati residence on Tuesday afternoon and said, “I have moved forward in politics. I am a daughter of Majh Kirat, and I will not waver.”
She began the conversation by recounting her meeting with party chairman and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on July 20.
She also mentioned that she had earlier sent a New Year’s greeting message, which irritated Chairman Oli.
“Even when I was president, I used to tell Oliji during our conversations that I would return to active politics. He was well aware of this. He would say okay, but we never had serious discussions on the matter,” she said.
Bhandari noted that now that she has returned to active politics, she has heard that Chairman Oli is making statements that a former president should not engage in party politics and is urging leaders not to speak on the issue.
“When I was president, I said I would return to active politics. After I completed my term as president, comrades (UML leaders) had been coming to my house and urging me to move forward. I was also mulling returning to active politics,” Bhandari said. “I sent a New Year’s greeting, which upset Oliji. Then, on June 28, on the occasion of Madan Bhandari’s birth anniversary, I announced my return to active politics.”
She also claimed to have renewed her UML membership in 2023. She said she paid dues from 2015 to 2023 to renew her membership. “Within six months of completing my term as president, I renewed my UML membership. It didn’t spark much debate then. Since I renewed my membership, my return to active politics is a normal matter,” she said.
She also brought up preparations to celebrate Madan Bhandari’s 75th birth anniversary next year. “I discussed this with the chairman. I thought senior leader Ishwar Pokharel would coordinate the diamond jubilee event, but the chairman said office-bearers have party work and should not be assigned other tasks. So, I formed a committee under Dormani Paudel’s leadership,” she said. “The chairman said members of the party’s public organizations shouldn’t be part of the diamond jubilee committee.”
UML’s publicity department chief Rajendra Gautam had said that Bhandari’s membership was pending. Bhandari said that she called Oli upon hearing this. “I heard my membership is pending. What does that mean?” she asked Oli over the phone. Oli replied that it was a political decision and suggested they discuss it later.
She said that they agreed to meet afterward. According to her, although Oli had asked her to come to Baluwatar, she insisted on meeting in Chyasal, and the meeting took place on July 20 in Chyasal.
“When we agreed to meet in Chyasal, he set the time for 3 p.m. I had asked him not to keep me waiting for long due to my leg pain. Though the meeting was set for 3 p.m., he arrived at 4 p.m. Until then, I was talking with UML leaders,” she said.
In Chyasal, she discussed national politics and the equation with the Nepali Congress, among other topics, with Oli, she said. However, Oli maintained that party membership was a political matter and that the party would make a decision on it.
“You’ve been president. It’s better to stay in a respected position. People will comment and spread all sorts of propaganda,” Oli reportedly said.
However, Bhandari told Oli that her party membership had already been renewed and that there was no greater task for her. “My party membership has already been renewed. There cannot be any task bigger than this for me,” she told Oli.
She also brought up some past events.
Recalling a 2013 proposal to become speaker, she said, “At that time, I had received proposal from party leaders to become speaker, but I said I couldn’t sit in a chair for eight hours straight since I needed to keep moving. So, I didn’t become speaker,” she said, adding that Subash Nembang became speaker after that.
She also shared the context of her presidency.
“When the proposal to become president came, I couldn’t sleep all night, debating whether to accept it. My daughters also asked how becoming president would fulfill their father’s dreams. My family wasn’t happy when I became president,” she claimed.
She said she ran for president after the party decided to field her, adding that she had no regrets or complaints about her work as president.
“When I was president, Parliament was dissolved twice. I think I did the right thing. The court did its job, and I did mine,” she said. “I have no regrets about my work as president, and I also don’t think I did anything against the country’s interests.”
Bhandari also took a jab at Oli, accusing him of backtracking on his own ideas. She claimed Oli, who once advocated for party democratization, has now reversed decisions on age limits and two-term limits.
“Oli ji has stepped back from his own ideas, moving away from democratization,” she said.
She claimed that a former president can return to party politics.
“People are saying a former president shouldn’t return to politics. Some have even called it unethical. Is it unethical to become president per the party’s decision? Wherever I went, I followed the party’s orders and decisions. Now, they’re talking about ethics and morality. If an ethical person becomes president, doesn’t the party also become ethical when they return?” she said.
Referring to Oli’s warning in the central committee meeting that leaders speaking for the former president would face action, she said, “I’ve heard leaders were told not to speak. But I’ve already moved forward. Provincial gatherings were held before the central committee meeting, trying to create fear in the committee.”
Targeting Oli’s claim that there’s no alternative to him in the party, she said, “He thinks there’s no alternative to him in the party. He sees others as kids and doesn’t consider them for leadership.”
When asked what she would do if the UML central committee decides that a former president shouldn’t return to party politics, she said, “I don’t think the central committee will make such a harsh decision. If it does, I’ll respond at that time.”
She also noted that after serving two terms as vice-chair, she became a problem for some leaders. “After two terms as vice-chair, I was seen as a contender for chair, making me a thorn in the side for some leaders,” she said.
She added that she has been involved in the party since 1978-79 through ANNFSU.
“I used to come to Kathmandu alone as a daughter of Majh Kirat for organization conventions. I’ve come through struggle. I won’t waver,” she reiterated.
