CPN-UML leader Krishna Gopal Shrestha has filed his candidacy for the position of secretary from the Ishwar Pokharel faction at the party's 11th general convention.
Shrestha had long been a "die-hard fan" of KP Sharma Oli, so much so that whenever Oli faced opposition within or outside the party, he would publicly jump to his defense.
When he was the education minister in 2021, Shrestha’s speech defending Oli during the convocation ceremony of Tribhuvan University was widely talked about.
Speaking in an agitated tone, he repeatedly said, “Is there anyone brave enough to remove KP Oli?”
He did not stop there and went on to say, “KP Oli is KP Oli, KP Oli is the Pele of football.”
Yet, this same Shrestha has now left the Oli camp and joined the rival faction led by Pokharel in the ongoing 11th general convention. He has already filed his candidacy for the position of secretary.
Shrestha, who is close to former president Bidya Devi Bhandari, has drifted away from Oli precisely because of that relationship.
Those close to him say that he has decided to run for office from the anti-Oli camp, saying "KP Oli committed a crime" by not granting party membership to Bhandari.
Shrestha, who has long been active in UML politics centered in the Kathmandu Valley, is also a popular leader in the valley. Having won parliamentary elections four times since 1991, he has been a central member of the UML since the 6th general convention.
He has also served as a minister multiple times. In the past, he has held portfolios such as minister of state for local development, minister for urban development, minister for health and population, minister for youth and sports, minister for labor, employment and social security, minister for forests and environment, and minister for education, science and technology.
Shrestha courted controversy during his tenure as education minister. The speech he gave defending Oli at the Tribhuvan University convocation ceremony during that time also became controversial.
