As a new form of power struggle begins within the CPN-UML, former vice-chairperson Bidya Devi Bhandari is adopting a "wait and see" approach.
Following a severe electoral defeat, a debate is gradually taking shape within the UML on whether to accept Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s leadership or to remove him and reorganize the party.
Some leaders and cadres from mass organizations have started advocating for a special general convention. Using the authority provided under Article 73 of the UML statute, they have begun collecting signatures from members of the national general convention representative council to call a special general convention.
There are rumors within the party that Vice-chairman Bishnu Paudel and General Secretary Shankar Pokharel have also concluded that they can no longer support Chairman Oli and have started laying the groundwork for party reorganization. UML leaders claim that Paudel and Pokharel have already reached an agreement on removing Oli.
While voices for leadership change and party reorganization are becoming stronger within the party, former president Bhandari – who had challenged Oli before the general convention – has not yet made her position public.
Raj Kumar Rai from Bhandari’s secretariat said that she has not engaged in any political activities recently.
“After the party decided not to renew her party membership, it is as if her hands and feet have been tied. That’s why there is on question of her engaging in political activities; meetings are regular activities,” Rai said.
The UML leadership is currently conducting election reviews cleverly from the bottom up. District committees are holding extended meetings for the review, and reports based on these reviews are being sent upward through provincial committees to the center.
A leader at the office-bearer level explained that the purpose of starting the review from the lower levels is to avoid criticism that could arise in the secretariat.
“If the review started at the secretariat level, the leadership would face criticism there, and that would shape opinions below. Fearing that the criticism could become too widespread, they sent questionnaires and asked for reviews from below to avoid that. However, the reviews they have received are not what they had hoped for. Even at the lower levels, there is a strong and growing demand that both the leadership and the party must be reorganized,” the leader said.
Because of this lengthy process, the UML has not been able to complete the election review even 42 days after the election. It appears the party leadership wants to call a central committee meeting and complete the review within the month of Baisakh (mid-May).
Meanwhile, the UML leadership argues that regular party work has been disrupted since Chairman Oli was sent to police custody on charges of causing death by negligence during the Gen Z movement. The opposing group, however, views this as a deliberate tactic.
Former vice-chair Bhandari has commented that that UML’s failure to achieve expected results in this election – despite securing the highest popular votes in the previous election – is a matter that requires serious review.
In her New Year greeting message, she demanded a serious and objective review of the election results.
“It is a matter for serious review that the CPN-UML, which secured first position based on popular votes in the previous election, could not achieve expected results in this election. Along with identifying the reasons behind the election outcome, it is extremely necessary to further strengthen unity, discipline, and mutual trust within the party. All political parties, including the CPN-UML, that lagged behind in public support must conduct a serious and objective review of the election results, internalize the conclusions, and party leaders and workers must move forward with restraint, discipline, and firm self-confidence,” she stated in her message.
Bhandari believes that this election result has sent a clear message to the old parties – which fought for decades to establish democracy in the country – that they must improve their organization, working style, and relationship with the people.
“Therefore, it is now an inevitable necessity to seriously internalize the sentiments, expectations, and dissatisfaction of the people and prioritize people-oriented programs and working styles. It is equally important to transform the party in line with the times through active participation of the new generation, innovative thinking, and effective use of technology,” her message read.
Bhandari also met with editors to understand public opinion on the election results, formation of the new government, the condition of old parties, and the overall political situation.
Last Friday, she met editors including Tirtha Koirala, Shiva Gaunle, Bhusan Dahal, Jibram Bhandari, and Dev Prakash Tripathi. The day before that, she met individually with Shambhu Shrestha and Basanta Basnet, according to a leader close to her.
Besides this, she has been regularly holding discussions and meetings with UML youth, students, and even central leaders of the party, trying to understand the growing frustration and despair within the party.
However, one leader close to her said that since she has not openly expressed her position, there is dissatisfaction and restlessness even within Bhandari’s group.
“We no longer have the luxury of waiting. The party movement is becoming weaker. Cadres have started leaving. The election result itself has shown that the leadership has lost attraction among the people. We have said that if we do not take the initiative even now, our own future will be ruined,” a leader close to Bhandari said.
Meanwhile, Bhandari visited Oli at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, where he has been admitted after falling ill. She spent nearly two and a half hours at the hospital.
According to her briefing to close leaders, she did not receive any indication from Oli during the meeting that he is ready to step down from leadership.
She told her close aides that Oli expressed feelings of being “surrounded and that a big conspiracy has been hatched against him and the party,” and that she did not see any sign that he would improve or leave the leadership.
Another leader close to Bhandari said that “the view that Oli can no longer run the party and the movement is getting stronger,” adding that results will be visible within a few days.
“We faced difficulties during this period. The chairman’s father passed away. We couldn’t say much while he was in mourning. After that, he was arrested. Since the arrest also appeared to be retaliatory in nature, we had to protest,” the leader said. “Since the former vice-chair’s nature is to raise questions, protest, and take initiatives politically, she has appeared somewhat silent. The scenario will change now.”
